Amendments
2025—Subsec. (a). [Pub. L. 118–272, § 1140(1)], substituted “Definitions” for “Definition of Indian tribe” in heading, and in text, substituted “In this section:” for “In this section, the term”, inserted par. (1) designation and heading and “The terms ‘Indian tribe’ and ‘Indian Tribe’ have the meanings given the terms” before “ ‘Indian tribe’ has” and added pars. (2) and (3).
Subsec. (b)(1). [Pub. L. 118–272, § 1140(2)(A)(i)], inserted “, inter-tribal consortiums, Tribal organizations,” after “Indian tribes” in introductory provisions.
Subsec. (b)(1)(A). [Pub. L. 118–272, § 1140(2)(A)(ii)], inserted “, inter-tribal consortiums, or Tribal organizations” after “Indian tribes”.
Subsec. (b)(2). [Pub. L. 118–272, § 1140(2)(B)], added par. (2) and struck out former par. (2) which related to authorized activities conducted under paragraph (1).
Subsec. (b)(3)(A). [Pub. L. 118–272, § 1140(2)(C)], inserted “, an inter-tribal consortium, or a Tribal organization” after “an Indian tribe” and “, inter-tribal consortium, or Tribal organization” after “the Indian tribe”.
Subsec. (b)(4). [Pub. L. 118–272, § 1140(2)(D)], substituted “$28,500,000” for “$26,000,000”.
Subsec. (d)(7). [Pub. L. 118–272, § 1140(3)], added par. (7).
Subsec. (e). [Pub. L. 118–272, § 1140(4)], added subsec. (e) and struck out former subsec. (e). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Secretary is authorized to carry out activities under this section for fiscal years 2015 through 2033.”
2022—Subsec. (a). [Pub. L. 117–263, § 8111(1)], made technical amendment to reference in original act which appears in text as reference to section 5304 of title 25.
Subsec. (b)(2)(A). [Pub. L. 117–263, § 8111(2)(A)(i)], inserted “hurricane and storm” after “flood” and “including erosion control,” after “reduction,”.
Subsec. (b)(2)(C), (D). [Pub. L. 117–263, § 8111(2)(A)(ii)]–(iv), added subpar. (C) and redesignated former subpar. (C) as (D).
Subsec. (b)(3)(C). [Pub. L. 117–263, § 8111(2)(B)], added subpar. (C).
Subsec. (b)(4)(A). [Pub. L. 117–263, § 8111(2)(C)(i)], substituted “$26,000,000” for “$18,500,000”.
Subsec. (b)(4)(B). [Pub. L. 117–263, § 8111(2)(C)(ii)], substituted “$26,000,000” for “$18,500,000”.
Subsec. (b)(5). [Pub. L. 117–263, § 8111(2)(D)], added par. (5).
Subsec. (d)(5)(B). [Pub. L. 117–263, § 8111(3)(A)], substituted “Federal” for “non-Federal” and “100 percent” for “50 percent”.
Subsec. (d)(6). [Pub. L. 117–263, § 8111(3)(B)], added par. (6).
Subsec. (e). [Pub. L. 117–263, § 8111(4)], substituted “2033” for “2024”.
2020—Subsec. (b)(4). [Pub. L. 116–260] substituted “$18,500,000” for “$12,500,000” in subpars. (A) and (B).
2018—Subsec. (b)(4). [Pub. L. 115–270] amended par. (4) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows:
“(A) In general.—The Secretary may carry out the design and construction of a water resources development project described in paragraph (1) that the Secretary determines is feasible if the Federal share of the cost of the project is not more than $10,000,000.
“(B) Specific authorization.—If the Federal share of the cost of a project described in subparagraph (A) is more than $10,000,000, the Secretary may only carry out the project if Congress enacts a law authorizing the Secretary to carry out the project.”
2016—Subsec. (b)(1). [Pub. L. 114–322, § 1121(1)(A)], substituted “the Secretary may carry out water-related planning activities, or activities relating to the study, design, and construction of water resources development projects,” for “the Secretary may carry out water-related planning activities and study and determine the feasibility of carrying out water resources development projects” in introductory provisions.
Subsec. (b)(2). [Pub. L. 114–322, § 1121(1)(B)], substituted “Authorized activities” for “Matters to be studied” in heading and “An activity” for “A study” in introductory provisions.
Subsec. (b)(3), (4). [Pub. L. 114–322, § 1121(1)(C)], added pars. (3) and (4).
Subsec. (c)(1). [Pub. L. 114–322, § 1121(2)(A)], substituted “an activity” for “studies”.
Subsec. (c)(2)(B). [Pub. L. 114–322, § 1121(2)(B)], substituted “an activity conducted” for “carrying out projects studied”.
Subsec. (d)(1)(A). [Pub. L. 114–322, § 1121(3)(A)], substituted “an activity conducted” for “a study”.
Subsec. (d)(2) to (5). [Pub. L. 114–322, § 1121(3)(B)], added pars. (2) to (5) and struck out former par. (2). Prior to amendment, text of par. (2) read as follows: “The Secretary may credit toward the non-Federal share of the costs of a study under subsection (b) the cost of services, studies, supplies, or other in-kind contributions provided by the non-Federal interest if the Secretary determines that the services, studies, supplies, and other in-kind contributions will facilitate completion of the study.”
2014—Subsec. (d)(1)(B). [Pub. L. 113–121, § 1031(a)(1)], designated existing provisions as cl. (i), inserted heading, and added cl. (ii).
Subsec. (e). [Pub. L. 113–121, § 1031(a)(2)], added subsec. (e) and struck out former subsec. (e) which authorized appropriations for fiscal years 2002 to 2012.
2007—Subsec. (b)(1). [Pub. L. 110–114, § 2011(a)(1)], inserted “carry out water-related planning activities and” after “the Secretary may” in introductory provisions.
Subsec. (b)(1)(B). [Pub. L. 110–114, § 2011(a)(2)], inserted “, and including lands that are within the jurisdictional area of an Oklahoma Indian tribe, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior, and are recognized by the Secretary of the Interior as eligible for trust land status under part 151 of title 25, Code of Federal Regulations” after “section 1151 of title 18”.
Subsec. (b)(2). [Pub. L. 110–114, § 2011(a)(3)], added subpar. (B) and redesignated former subpar. (B) as (C).
Subsec. (e). [Pub. L. 110–114, § 2011(b)], substituted “2012” for “2006”.
Tribal Project Implementation Pilot Program
[Pub. L. 118–272, div. A, title I, § 1141], Jan. 4, 2025, [138 Stat. 3030], provided that:“(a)
Definitions.—
In this section:
“(1)
Eligible project.—
The term ‘eligible project’ means a project or activity eligible to be carried out under the Tribal partnership program under section 203 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 (
33 U.S.C. 2269).
“(2)
Indian tribe.—
The term ‘Indian Tribe’ has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (
25 U.S.C. 5304).
“(b)
Authorization.—
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Jan. 4, 2025], the Secretary [of the Army] shall establish and implement a pilot program under which Indian Tribes may directly carry out eligible projects.
“(c)
Purposes.—
The purposes of the pilot program under this section are—
“(1)
to authorize Tribal contracting to advance Tribal self-determination and provide economic opportunities for Indian Tribes; and
“(2)
to evaluate the technical, financial, and organizational efficiencies of Indian Tribes carrying out the design, execution, management, and construction of 1 or more eligible projects.
“(d)
Administration.—
“(1)
In general.—
In carrying out the pilot program under this section, the Secretary shall—
“(A)
identify a total of not more than 5 eligible projects that have been authorized for construction;
“(B)
notify the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives on the identification of each eligible project under the pilot program under this section;
“(C)
in collaboration with the Indian Tribe, develop a detailed project management plan for each identified eligible project that outlines the scope, budget, design, and construction resource requirements necessary for the Indian Tribe to execute the project or a separable element of the eligible project;
“(D)
on the request of the Indian Tribe and in accordance with subsection (f)(2), enter into a project partnership agreement with the Indian Tribe for the Indian Tribe to provide full project management control for construction of the eligible project, or a separable element of the eligible project, in accordance with plans approved by the Secretary;
“(E)
following execution of the project partnership agreement, transfer to the Indian Tribe to carry out construction of the eligible project, or a separable element of the eligible project—
“(i)
if applicable, the balance of the unobligated amounts appropriated for the eligible project, except that the Secretary shall retain sufficient amounts for the Corps of Engineers to carry out any responsibilities of the Corps of Engineers relating to the eligible project and the pilot program under this section; and
“(ii)
additional amounts, as determined by the Secretary, from amounts made available to carry out this section, except that the total amount transferred to the Indian Tribe shall not exceed the updated estimate of the Federal share of the cost of construction, including any required design; and
“(F)
regularly monitor and audit each eligible project being constructed by an Indian Tribe under this section to ensure that the construction activities are carried out in compliance with the plans approved by the Secretary and that the construction costs are reasonable.
“(2)
Detailed project schedule.—
Not later than 180 days after entering into an agreement under paragraph (1)(D), each Indian Tribe, to the maximum extent practicable, shall submit to the Secretary a detailed project schedule, based on estimated funding levels, that lists all deadlines for each milestone in the construction of the eligible project.
“(3)
Technical assistance.—
On the request of an Indian Tribe, the Secretary may provide technical assistance to the Indian Tribe, if the Indian Tribe contracts with and compensates the Secretary for the technical assistance relating to—
“(A)
any study, engineering activity, and design activity for construction carried out by the Indian Tribe under this section; and
“(B)
expeditiously obtaining any permits necessary for the eligible project.
“(e)
Cost Share.—
Nothing in this section affects the cost-sharing requirement applicable on the day before the date of enactment of this Act to an eligible project carried out under this section.
“(f)
Implementation Guidance.—
“(1)
In general.—
Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue guidance for the implementation of the pilot program under this section that, to the extent practicable, identifies—
“(A)
the metrics for measuring the success of the pilot program;
“(B)
a process for identifying future eligible projects to participate in the pilot program;
“(C)
measures to address the risks of an Indian Tribe constructing eligible projects under the pilot program, including which entity bears the risk for eligible projects that fail to meet Corps of Engineers standards for design or quality;
“(D)
the laws and regulations that an Indian Tribe must follow in carrying out an eligible project under the pilot program; and
“(E)
which entity bears the risk in the event that an eligible project carried out under the pilot program fails to be carried out in accordance with the project authorization or this section.
“(2)
New project partnership agreements.—
The Secretary may not enter into a project partnership agreement under this section until the date on which the Secretary issues the guidance under paragraph (1).
“(g)
Report.—
“(1)
In general.—
Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and make publicly available a report detailing the results of the pilot program under this section, including—
“(A)
a description of the progress of Indian Tribes in meeting milestones in detailed project schedules developed pursuant to subsection (d)(2); and
“(B)
any recommendations of the Secretary concerning whether the pilot program or any component of the pilot program should be implemented on a national basis.
“(2)
Update.—
Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives an update to the report under paragraph (1).
“(3)
Failure to meet deadline.—
If the Secretary fails to submit a report by the required deadline under this subsection, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a detailed explanation of why the deadline was missed and a projected date for submission of the report.
“(h)
Administration.—
All laws and regulations that would apply to the Secretary if the Secretary were carrying out the eligible project shall apply to an Indian Tribe carrying out an eligible project under this section.
“(i)
Termination of Authority.—
The authority to commence an eligible project under this section terminates on December 31, 2029.
“(j)
Authorization of Appropriations.—
In addition to any amounts appropriated for a specific eligible project, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section, including the costs of administration of the Secretary, $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2029.”