Volume 167, No. 129 covering the 1st Session of the 117th Congress (2021 - 2022) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Senate section on pages S5052-S5054 on July 22.
More than half of the Agency's employees are engineers, scientists and protection specialists. The Climate Reality Project, a global climate activist organization, accused Agency leadership in the last five years of undermining its main mission.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and Mr. Padilla):
S. 2430. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to expand the exclusion for certain conservation subsidies to include subsidies for water conservation or efficiency measures and storm water management measures; to the Committee on Finance.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the
``Water Conservation Rebate Tax Parity Act,'' which I introduced today. Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA) has introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
Access to water has always been a major issue in California and throughout the Western United States. That issue has only become more pressing as climate change increases the risk of drought in the West. Right now, 87 percent of California is facing ``Extreme Drought'' conditions and 33 percent of the state is experiencing ``Exceptional Drought'' conditions, the most severe category.
A growing number of States, including California, have begun offering rebates to homeowners to improve the water efficiency of their homes. Unfortunately, many homeowners are unaware that they are required to pay federal income taxes on these rebates and are surprised to be stuck with that bill. Still other homeowners aware of the tax implications are disincentivized from making these efficiencies to their homes.
The ``Water Conservation Rebate Tax Parity Act'' would exempt such State and local rebates for water conservation improvements, as well as improvements to better handle storm water runoff, from taxable income. This would eliminate the unexpected bill homeowners face, increasing the incentive to make these improvements, which benefit all of us.
I note that such State rebates for energy conservation improvements are already excluded from taxable income. Thus, my bill would simply put water conservation rebates on par with energy conservation rebates for tax treatment.
It is critical that Congress explore many ways to address climate change and mitigate the impacts that we are already seeing. Encouraging homeowners to make their properties more water-efficient is one way to do that.
I hope my colleagues will join me in support of this bill. Thank you, Mr. President, and I yield the floor.
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By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. Burr, Mr. Padilla, and Mr.
Tillis):
S. 2432. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude from gross income amounts received from State-based catastrophe loss mitigation programs; to the Committee on Finance.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the
``Disaster Mitigation and Tax Parity Act,'' which Senator Burr and I introduced today. Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA) has introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
Encouraging homeowners to take steps to reduce the risk of natural catastrophe damage to their homes has long been a goal of policy makers. In California, it has been a special challenge to incentivize individuals to purchase earthquake insurance and to harden their homes against potential earthquake damage.
The threat of natural disasters and extreme weather events has become a much greater problem in recent years due to climate change, which is driving an increasing frequency and severity of wildfires, droughts, hurricanes, and other catastrophic events. This, in turn, is reducing the availability and increasing the costs of insurance for individuals and businesses.
A growing number of states, including California, have begun offering rebates to homeowners to improve their homes to mitigate against damage from such events. Unfortunately, many homeowners are unaware that they are required to pay Federal income taxes on these rebates and are surprised to be stuck with that bill. Other homeowners who are aware of the tax implications are disincentivized from making these improvements to their homes.
The ``Disaster Mitigation and Tax Parity Act'' would exempt such State rebates for disaster mitigation improvements from taxable income. This would eliminate the unexpected bill homeowners face, increasing the incentive to make these improvements, which benefit all of us.
I also note that such State rebates for energy conservation improvements are already excluded from taxable income. Thus, our bill would simply put disaster mitigation rebates on par with energy conservation measures.
I am pleased that Congress is exploring many ways to address climate change-related matters. Encouraging homeowners to make their properties more resistant to natural catastrophe damage is one way to help.
I hope my colleagues will join me in support of this bill. Thank you, Mr. President, and I yield the floor.
______
By Mr. THUNE:
S. 2437. A bill to amend the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to require the Secretary of Agriculture to expedite hazardous fuel or insect and disease risk reduction projects on certain National Forest System land, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 2437
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Expediting Forest Restoration and Recovery Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. APPLICATION BY FOREST SERVICE OF AUTHORITIES TO
EXPEDITE ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSES IN CARRYING OUT
HAZARDOUS FUEL AND INSECT AND DISEASE RISK
REDUCTION PROJECTS.
Section 104 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003
(16 U.S.C. 6514) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(i) Application by Forest Service of Authorities to Expedite Environmental Analyses in Carrying Out Hazardous Fuel and Insect and Disease Risk Reduction Projects.--
``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Insect and disease treatment area.--The term `insect and disease treatment area' means an area that--
``(i) is designated by the Secretary as an insect and disease treatment area under this title; or
``(ii) is designated as at risk or a hazard on the most recent National Insect and Disease Risk Map published by the Forest Service.
``(B) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' has the meaning given the term in section 101(14)(A).
``(2) Use of authorities.--In carrying out a hazardous fuel or insect and disease risk reduction project in an insect and disease treatment area authorized under this Act, the Secretary shall--
``(A) apply the categorical exclusion established by section 603 in the case of a hazardous fuel or insect and disease risk reduction project carried out in an area--
``(i) designated as suitable for timber production within the applicable forest plan; or
``(ii) where timber harvest activities are not prohibited;
``(B) conduct applicable environmental assessments and environmental impact statements in accordance with this section in the case of a hazardous fuel or insect and disease risk reduction project--
``(i) carried out in an area--
``(I) outside of an area described in subparagraph (A); or
``(II) where other significant resource concerns exist, as determined exclusively by the Secretary; or
``(ii) that is carried out in an area equivalent to not less than a hydrologic unit code 5 watershed, as defined by the United States Geological Survey; and
``(C) notwithstanding subsection (d), in the case of any other hazardous fuel or insect and disease reduction project, in the environmental assessment or environmental impact statement prepared under subsection (b), study, develop, and describe--
``(i) the proposed agency action; and
``(ii) the alternative of no action.
``(3) Priority for reducing risks of insect infestation and wildfire.--Except where established as a mandatory standard that constrains project and activity decisionmaking in a resource management plan (as defined in section 101(13)(A)) in effect on the date of enactment of this Act, in the case of an insect and disease treatment area, the Secretary shall prioritize reducing the risks of insect and disease infestation and wildfire over other planning objectives.
``(4) Inclusion of fire regime groups iv and v.--Notwithstanding section 603(c)(2)(B), the Secretary shall apply the categorical exclusion described in paragraph (2)(A) to areas in Fire Regime Groups IV and V.
``(5) Excluded areas.--This subsection shall not apply to--
``(A) a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System; or
``(B) an inventoried roadless area, except in the case of an activity that is permitted under--
``(i) the final rule of the Secretary entitled `Special Areas; Roadless Area Conservation' (66 Fed. Reg. 3244
(January 12, 2001)); or
``(ii) a State-specific roadless area conservation rule.
``(6) Reports.--The Secretary shall annually make publicly available data describing the acreage treated under hazardous fuel or insect and disease risk reduction projects in insect and disease treatment areas during the previous year.''.
SEC. 3. GOOD NEIGHBOR AUTHORITY.
Section 8206(b)(2) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a(b)(2)) is amended by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the following:
``(C) Treatment of revenue.--Funds received from the sale of timber by a Governor of a State under a good neighbor agreement shall be retained and used by the Governor--
``(i) to carry out authorized restoration services under that good neighbor agreement; and
``(ii) if funds remain after carrying out authorized restoration services under clause (i), to carry out authorized restoration services within the State under other good neighbor agreements.''.
______
By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Ms. Duckworth, Ms. Hirono, and Mr.
Booker):
S. 2442. A bill to amend section 455(m) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 in order to allow adjunct faculty members to qualify for public service loan forgiveness; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 2442
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Adjunct Faculty Loan Fairness Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR ADJUNCT FACULTY.
Section 455(m)(3)(B)(ii) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(m)(3)(B)(ii)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``teaching as'' and inserting the following: ``teaching--
``(I) as'';
(2) by striking ``, foreign language faculty, and part-time faculty at community colleges), as determined by the Secretary.'' and inserting ``and foreign language faculty), as determined by the Secretary; or''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(II) as a part-time faculty member or instructor who--
``(aa) teaches not less than 1 course at an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101(a)), a postsecondary vocational institution (as defined in section 102(c)), or a Tribal College or University (as defined in section 316(b)); and
``(bb) is not employed on a full-time basis by any other employer.''.
______
By Mr. WYDEN (for himself, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Casey, Mr. Durbin, Ms.
Klobuchar, Mr. Menendez, and Mrs. Murray):
S. 2452. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide matching payments for retirement savings contributions by certain individuals, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Finance.
Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, today I have introduced the Encouraging Americans to Save Act (EASA). This legislation makes common sense reforms to the saver's tax credit by making the credit refundable and restructuring it as a government matching contribution that is directly deposited into a taxpayer's retirement savings account. This bill would offer matching contributions for the first time to millions of middle and low income individuals not covered by an employer-sponsored retirement plan, including those who save through an IRA under a state or local government savings program--such as workers in my home State of Oregon under the OregonSaves program. The government match is also available to middle and lower income savers who participate in an employer-sponsored plan. The government match provided by the bill would both encourage saving and help middle and low income earners build assets by providing an immediate, meaningful return on their personal contributions. The legislation would also establish a coronavirus bonus recovery credit that would provide an additional government match of up to $5,000 to workers on their retirement saving for a five year period. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
______
By Mr. PADILLA (for himself, Mrs. Feinstein, and Mr. Ossoff):
S. 2454. A bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reauthorize the pilot program for alternative water source projects, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to introduce the ``Water Reuse and Resiliency Act.'' This legislation would authorize $1 billion for innovative water infrastructure projects that respond to our Country's growing water needs and the historic drought facing the Western United States.
In the face of unprecedented heat and drought conditions across the Western United States, and growing water resource challenges across the entire Nation, it is critically important that we invest now to modernize and adapt our water systems for the 21st century.
The Environmental Protection Agency's Alternative Water Source Projects pilot program provides competitive grants to engineer, design, construct, and test alternative water source systems, including water recycling systems and projects that conserve, manage, reclaim, or reuse water resources.
The Water Reuse and Resiliency Act would reauthorize the EPA's Alternative Water Source Projects pilot program for five years, increase the authorization to $1 billion, and make stormwater reuse and groundwater recharge projects eligible for grant funding.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), as of July 13, an estimated 89% of the Western U.S. is experiencing drought. Unfortunately, historic droughts are becoming the new normal. The impacts of drought on water availability are compounded by triple-digit temperatures, record low snowpack levels, and a growing population.
By expanding the use of alternative, non-traditional water sources, such as capturing stormwater runoff and recycling wastewater for groundwater recharge, the Water Reuse and Resiliency Act supports innovations in water treatment that can deliver a new, safe, and reliable source of water for potable use or irrigation.
I thank my co-lead, Senator Feinstein, for her tireless leadership fighting for clean water for Californians and all Americans. I also thank the cosponsors of this bill for championing this vital effort with us in the Senate.
I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact the ``Water Reuse and Resiliency Act'' as quickly as possible.
Thank you, Mr. President, I yield the floor.
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