House Passes Energy & Water Appropriations Bill
The House version of the bill includes $7.36 billion for the Corps of Engineers, and increase of $357 million from FY19 enacted and $2.53 billion above the president’s request. The majority of the bill language is status-quo for coastal projects, and we can expect some more muscle from the Senate’s version late this summer. General summary below:
The House has added $107,410,000 to the budget for shore protection over the president’s record low request of $19,655,000, for a total shore protection budget of $127,065,000. Click here for our chart where we track the appropriations process for shore protection funds.
Investigations: $135 million, an increase of $10 million above the fiscal year 2019 level and $58 million above the request.
Construction: $2.34 billion, an increase of $154 million above the fiscal year 2019 level and $1.17 billion above the request.
Operation and Maintenance: $3.92 billion, an increase of $183.5 million above the fiscal year 2019 level and $1.99 billion above the request.
Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund: Projects receive $1.697 billion, $147 million above the fiscal year 2019 level, an increase of $732 million above the request and $100 million above target set by the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014.
The bill makes full use of the estimated receipts for the Inland Waterways Trust Fund and provides for six new study starts and six new construction projects.
$7.5 million in construction funds is allocated for the 1122 pilot program: $7.5 million won’t get very far for a project on its own (and there are 10 of them). Those funds will be used to cover the increase in cost between the baseline O&M disposal procedure (open water dumping) and the pilot disposal project. Who’s ready for sand?
Flood Insurance
The House Committee on Financial Services has agreed on a bill that extends the NFIP for 5 years and includes reforms to the program. The reforms include:
- Authorizing monthly payments for policyholders
- A revolving loan fund for mitigation efforts
- Making improvements to flood mapping ($500 million over 5 years)
- Allowing appeals for inaccurate maps
- Allow local variances in flood proofing
- A 3rd party report on the NFIP’s financial status
- Raising the loan amount for the Mandatory Purchase requirement from $5,000 to $25,000
- Allow policyholders who left the NFIP for private insurers to return to the NFIP with no penalty
The bill will hopefully make its way to the House floor after it leaves its 2nd stop at the House Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
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Policy – Engineering – Finance
