California New River Public Health and Water Quality Restoration Program

(a) Establishment Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, subject to the availability of appropriations provided specifically for this purpose, the Administrator shall establish a Geographic Program, to be known as the California New River Public Health and Water Quality Restoration Program. (b) Duties In carrying out the program, the Administrator shall— (1) carry out projects, plans, and initiatives for the New River that are supported by the California-Mexico Border Relations Council, and work in consultation with applicable management entities, including representatives of the Calexico New River Committee, the California-Mexico Border Relations Council, the New River Improvement Project Technical Advisory Committee, the Federal Government, State and local governments, and regional and nonprofit organizations, to carry out water quality restoration and protection activities relating to the New River; (2) carry out activities that— (A) develop, using monitoring, data collection, and assessment, a shared set of science-based water quality restoration and protection activities identified in accordance with paragraph (1); (B) support the implementation of a shared set of science-based water quality restoration and protection activities identified in accordance with paragraph (1), including water reuse projects, water recycling projects, and natural and green infrastructure projects; (C) target cost-effective projects with measurable results; and (D) maximize public health and water quality conservation outcomes; and (3) provide grants, agreements, and technical assistance in accordance with section 205. (c) Coordination In establishing the program, the Administrator shall consult, as appropriate, with— (1) the heads of Federal agencies, including— (A) the Secretary of the Interior; (B) the Secretary of Agriculture; (C) the Secretary of Homeland Security; (D) the Administrator of General Services; (E) the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection; (F) the Commissioner; (G) the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers; (H) the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; (I) the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and (J) the head of any other applicable agency, as determined by the Administrator; (2) the Governor of California; (3) the California Environmental Protection Agency; (4) the California State Water Resources Control Board; (5) the California Department of Water Resources; (6) the Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board; (7) the Imperial Irrigation District; (8) the Salton Sea Authority; (9) the County of Imperial; (10) other public agencies and organizations with authority for the planning and implementation of conservation strategies relating to the New River in the United States and Mexico, as determined by the Administrator; and (11) representatives of the North American Development Bank. (d) Cooperative agreements and memoranda of understanding (1) In general To achieve the purposes of this title, the Administrator may enter into cooperative agreements and memoranda of understanding with— (A) the heads of other Federal agencies, States, State agencies, units of local government, regional governmental bodies, and private entities; and (B) in cooperation with the Secretary, the Government of Mexico. (2) Use of agreements The Administrator may enter into the cooperative agreements and memoranda of understanding described in paragraph (1)— (A) to carry out the activities described in this section, including studies, plans, construction, and completion of projects to improve the water quality of, environment of, and public health around the New River; and (B) to carry out a pilot project under which the Administrator shall, for projects selected by the Administrator that would otherwise not be successful in improving the water quality of, environment of, and public health of people residing in areas surrounding the New River— (i) identify the parties responsible for the projects; and (ii) provide funds to those parties for the operations and maintenance of the projects. (3) Term The cooperative agreements and memoranda of understanding described in paragraph (1) shall be limited to a specified period of time, as determined by the Administrator. (4) Financial arrangements (A) In general If the Administrator enters into a cooperative agreement or memorandum of understanding described in paragraph (1), the Administrator may require the other party to the agreement or memorandum to provide payment to the Administrator. (B) Deposit Any amounts received as a payment under subparagraph (A) shall be deposited into the State and Tribal Assistance Grants account of the Environmental Protection Agency and shall remain available, without further appropriation, to carry out the purposes of this title. (5) Personnel; services; technical assistance The Administrator may provide or accept personnel, services, and technical assistance pursuant to a cooperative agreement or memorandum of understanding described in paragraph (1), with or without reimbursement, for the purposes of carrying out the agreement or memorandum.