S. 291: Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program Amendment Act of 2025

This bill, titled the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program Amendment Act of 2025, proposes the establishment of a special interest-bearing account known as the Non-Federal Funding Account for the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program. Here’s a breakdown of the main provisions of the bill:

Purpose of the Bill

The primary objective of the bill is to facilitate the assembly and management of funds contributed by state parties to support the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, which aims to protect various species and improve the overall health of the Colorado River ecosystem.

Establishment of the Fund

The bill designates a fund to be established within the United States Treasury, which will include:

• Unspent non-federal contributions that were made before the enactment of this bill.
• Any future contributions made by state parties after the bill becomes law.
• Interest earned from the investments of the fund's amounts.

Definitions

The bill provides clear definitions for key terms, including:

• Agreement: Refers to the existing agreement related to the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, dated April 4, 2005.
• Fund: Specifies the Non-Federal Funding Account established by this bill.
• Non-Federal Contribution: Denotes the amounts provided by state parties to cover non-federal costs as stated in the aforementioned agreement.
• State Party: Refers to any state entity involved in the program as defined in the agreement.

Deposits and Management of the Fund

The bill outlines how deposits into the fund will be managed:

• The Secretary of the Treasury is responsible for depositing both past and future non-federal contributions into the fund.
• Deposited amounts and interest will be available to the Secretary for expenditures related to the program without needing further approval.

Investment of Funds

The Secretary of the Treasury is permitted to invest any portion of the fund that is not immediately needed. These investments must be made in interest-bearing obligations of the United States, ensuring that the funds remain secure and yield interest, benefiting the conservation program financially.

Transfer of Funds

The bill requires the following transfers:

• Previously contributed funds must be transferred into the fund within 90 days following the enactment of the bill.
• Future contributions must be transferred to the fund as soon as they are made by state parties.
• State parties will not be liable for any investment losses related to the fund.

Implementation and Oversight

The implementation of the fund will follow the specifications laid out in the governing Program Documents and according to the regulations mentioned in the section of the bill. This will ensure that contributions can effectively support the conservation objectives without unnecessary delays.

Relevant Companies

None found