To ensure the proper implementation of the rural Western water program.

SA 4981. Mr. HELLER (for himself and Mr. Heinrich) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 2848, to
provide for the conservation and development of water and related
resources, to authorize the Secretary of the Army to construct various
projects for improvements to rivers and harbors of the United States,
and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as
follows:

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. ____. RURAL WESTERN WATER.

Section 595 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1999
(Public Law 106-53; 113 Stat. 383; 128 Stat. 1316) is
amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection (i);
(2) by inserting after subsection (g) the following:
``(h) Eligibility.--
``(1) In general.--Assistance under this section shall be
made available to all eligible States and locales described
in subsection (b) consistent with program priorities
determined by the Secretary in accordance with criteria
developed by the Secretary to establish the program
priorities, with priority given to projects in any applicable
State that--
``(A) execute new or amended project cooperation
agreements; and
``(B) commence promptly after the date of enactment of the
Water Resources Development Act of 2016.
``(2) Rural projects.--The Secretary shall consider a rural
project authorized under this section and environmental
infrastructure projects authorized under section 219 of the
Water Resources Development Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-580;
106 Stat. 4835) for new starts on the same basis as any other
program funded from the construction account.''; and
(3) in subsection (i) (as redesignated by paragraph (1)),
by striking ``which shall--,'' and all that follows through
``remain'' and inserting ``to remain''.
______