September 10, 2025
Mr. Risch (for himself and Mr. Merkley) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
To amend the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to authorize certain extraordinary operation and maintenance work for urban canals of concern.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Urban Canal Modernization Act
.
Sec. 2. Extraordinary operation and maintenance work performed by the Secretary of the Interior
(a) Definitions
Section 9601 of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (43 U.S.C. 510) is amended—
(1)
by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), and (7) as paragraphs (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), and (1), respectively, and moving the paragraphs so as to appear in numerical order;
(2)
in paragraph (3) (as so redesignated), by striking et seq.)
and inserting et seq.))
;
(3)
in paragraph (4) (as so redesignated), by striking mean
and inserting means
; and
(4)
by adding at the end the following:
(8) Urban canal of concern
The term urban canal of concern means a transferred works or segment of a transferred works that is a canal reach—
(A)
the failure of which would result in an estimated at-risk population of more than 100 individuals, as determined by the Secretary, pursuant to the guidelines and criteria developed under section 9602(a); and
(B)
that is determined by the Secretary to be classified as an urban canal reach.
(b) Extraordinary operation and maintenance work on urban canals of concern
Section 9603 of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (43 U.S.C. 510b) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a)—
(A)
by striking (a)
and all that follows through The Secretary
and inserting the following:
(a) Authorization
(1) Project facilities
The Secretary; and
(B)
by adding at the end the following:
(2) Urban canals of concern
The Secretary or the transferred works operating entity may carry out, in accordance with subsection (b), any extraordinary operation and maintenance work on an urban canal of concern that the Secretary determines to be necessary pursuant to the guidelines and criteria set forth in section 9602(a).;
(2)
in subsection (b)—
(A)
by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and
(B)
by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
(3) Urban canals of concern
Except in the case of emergency extraordinary operation and maintenance work carried out under subsection (c), of the total costs of extraordinary operation and maintenance work on an urban canal of concern conducted under subsection (a)(2)—
(A)
35 percent shall be provided by the Secretary on a nonreimbursable basis; and
(B)
the remaining amounts shall be advanced by the Secretary in accordance with paragraph (2), to be repaid by the transferred works operating entity in accordance with that paragraph.; and
(3)
by adding at the end the following:
(e) Reimbursable funds
Any reimbursable funds provided under this section shall be considered to be a non-Federal source of funds for purposes of any cost-sharing requirement for a Federal grant.