H.R. 3428: Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commissions Review Act

The Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commissions Review Act is proposed legislation that requires a review of the Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commissions by the U.S. Comptroller General. Here’s a breakdown of what the bill entails:

Purpose of the Act

The Act aims to assess the operations and efficiency of the three Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commissions. These commissions are responsible for managing water resources and related issues in their respective river basins. The review intends to ensure that these organizations are fulfilling their roles effectively and transparently.

Review Process

The Comptroller General is mandated to initiate a comprehensive review within one year of the bill's enactment. The review will focus on several key areas:

• Ethics Policies: The review will evaluate the ethics policies and practices of each commission.
• Public Communication: It will assess how well each commission communicates with the general public.
• Federal Responsibilities: The review will look at the current Federal responsibilities held by the commissions, including actions taken by relevant Federal agencies.
• Funding Sources: The review will describe the level and sources of Federal and State funding received by each commission.
• Duplicative Duties: It will identify any duties that overlap with other federal authorities, potentially indicating redundancy.
• Reporting Practices: The review will evaluate the policies and best practices for reporting the activities of each commission.

Reporting Findings

Upon completing the review, the Comptroller General will submit a report to both the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. This report will include:

• The findings from the review.
• Any recommendations for changes to improve transparency and oversight of the commissions, which may include statutory or administrative changes and modifications to ethics policies.

Plan for Compliance

After the Comptroller General's report is submitted, each Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commission must provide a compliance plan within 90 days. This plan needs to outline the actions they will take in response to the recommendations from the review and must be submitted annually for five years.

Definition of Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commissions

For the purposes of this Act, the term "Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commission" includes the following:

• The Susquehanna River Basin Commission, established by the Susquehanna River Basin Compact.
• The Delaware River Basin Commission, established by the Delaware River Basin Compact.
• The Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, established by the Potomac River Basin Compact.

Relevant Companies

None found.