Army Corps Congressional Engagement Act
Officially: “Army Corps Congressional Engagement Act” Read the full text
What it does
Read it in plain language
1Short title
This section would let the Act be called the Army Corps Congressional Engagement Act.
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1. Short title This Act may be referred to as the Army Corps Congressional Engagement Act .
2Annual briefings on Corps of Engineers projects within United States watersheds
This section would require the District Commander of each Corps of Engineers district, for every calendar year after the Act becomes law, to give an annual briefing (in person or virtually, at the Commander's choice) to each office of a Member of Congress whose congressional district overlaps, fully or partially, with that Corps district. The briefing must cover every project that is located in the Corps district and, fully or partially, in that congressional district; that is fully or partially within a watershed; and that the Corps of Engineers funds, partially funds, leads, or partially leads, or on which the Corps has consulted during the period covered by the briefing. For each such project, the Commander must convey its location and any other congressional districts where it is being carried out; its status and progress toward completion; any delays or potential delays in its timeline; the funds the Corps has spent on it, both total and for the covered period; an estimate of any additional funds needed to complete it; a list of the project's expenses since it began and for the covered period; a summary of its environmental impacts and any identifiable effects on the local community; a summary of engagement between the Corps and a non-federal sponsor or the public about the project; and any opportunities the Commander has identified for a related study or project authorization in the same congressional district. The briefing must also detail any request for additional appropriations for use on one or more of these projects, and it must include time for the Member of Congress and staff to ask questions about any project in that Member's congressional district. If a District Commander has not given the required annual briefing by December 1 of a calendar year, the Commander must, before December 31 of that year, send each office it has not yet briefed a written statement explaining why the briefing has not happened, stating whether the Commander has contacted the office about scheduling it, and describing how the Commander plans to get the briefing scheduled as soon as possible. If a District Commander fails to send that required written statement, then within 30 days after the statement was due, the Inspector General of the Army must send each office the Commander has not yet briefed, and the relevant congressional committees, a report giving the results of the Inspector General's investigation into why the briefing did not occur during the required calendar year and the Inspector General's recommendations for making sure the briefing takes place as soon as possible. For purposes of this section, "Member of Congress" includes a Delegate to Congress and a Resident Commissioner to Congress, and the "relevant congressional committees" are the House Committee on Armed Services, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the Senate Committee on Armed Services, and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
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2. Annual briefings on Corps of Engineers projects within United States watersheds (a) Annual briefing For each calendar year beginning after the date of enactment of this Act, the District Commander of each district of the Corps of Engineers shall provide to each office of a Member of Congress for which the respective congressional district is located, fully or partially, in the district of the Corps of Engineers, an annual briefing, virtually or in-person at the discretion of the District Commander— (1) regarding each project that is— (A) located in the district of the Corps of Engineers and, fully or partially, in the respective congressional district; (B) fully or partially located within a watershed; and (C) funded, partially funded, led, or partially led by the Corps of Engineers, or on which the Corps of Engineers has consulted during the period covered by the report; (2) conveying for each such project— (A) the location, including identification of any other congressional districts in which the project is being carried out; (B) the status and progress towards project completion; (C) any delays, or potential delays, in the project timeline; (D) the amount of funding expended by the Corps of Engineers, total and for the period covered by the report; (E) an estimation any additional funds required to complete the project; (F) a list of project expenses for which funds were expended by the Corps of Engineers, since project inception and for the period covered by the report; (G) a summary of any environmental impacts of the project and any identifiable impacts of the project on the community local to the project; (H) a summary of any engagement between the Corps of Engineers and a non-Federal sponsor or the public with respect to the project; and (I) any opportunities identified by the District Commander for a related study or project authorization that may be carried out in the same congressional district in which the project is being carried out; (3) detailing any request for additional appropriations for use in one or more such projects; and (4) that includes a period during which the Member of Congress and staff of the office may ask questions regarding any project being carried out in the congressional district of the Member. (b) Failure to brief (1) Written statement For each calendar year beginning after the date of enactment of this Act, if a District Commander has not provided an annual briefing required under subsection (a) by December 1 of the calendar year, the District Commander shall, prior to December 31 of the calendar year, submit to each office of a Member of Congress the District Commander has yet to brief as required under subsection (a) a written statement that includes— (A) an explanation of why the briefing has not occurred; (B) indication of whether the District Commander has contacted the office about scheduling the briefing; and (C) a description of how the District Commander plans to ensure that the briefing is scheduled as soon as possible. (2) Investigation If a District Commander fails to submit a written statement required under paragraph (1), not later than 30 day after the date on which the written statement was due, the Inspector General of the Army shall submit to each office of a Member of Congress the District Commander has yet to brief as required under subsection (a) and the relevant Congressional Committees a report containing— (A) the results of an investigation of the Inspector General as to why the briefing did not occur during the calendar year in which it was required; and (B) recommendations of the Inspector General to facilitate and ensure the briefing takes place as soon as possible. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) Member of Congress The term Member of Congress includes a Delegate to Congress and a Resident Commissioner to Congress. (2) Relevant Congressional Committees The term relevant Congressional Committees means— (A) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives; (B) the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives; (C) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate; and (D) the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate.
Where it is
In the House.