#aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #aifc ,,an ,,act ,to amend the ,water ,conservation and ,utilization ,act to authorize the development of non-,federal hydropower and issuance of leases of power privileges at projects constructed pursuant to the authority of the ,water ,conservation and ,utilization ,act1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,bureau of ,reclamation ,conduit ,hydropower ,development ,equity and ,jobs ,act4 #b4 ,amendment ,section #i of the ,act entitled ,an ,act authorizing construction of water conservation and utilization projects in the ,great ,plains and arid semiarid areas of the ,united ,states1 approved ,august #aa1 #aici 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #eijz-#g2 commonly known as the ,water ,conservation and ,utilization ,act71 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking ,in connection with and inserting 7a7 ,in connection with2 and 7#b7 by adding at the end the following3 7b7 ,notwithstanding subsection 7a71 the ,secretary is authorized to enter into leases of power privileges for electric power generation in connection with any project constructed under this ,act1 and shall have authority in addition to and alternative to any authority in existing laws relating to particular projects1 including small conduit hydropower development4 7c7 ,when entering into leases of power privileges under subsection 7b71 the ,secretary shall use the processes applicable to such leases under section #i7;c7 of the ,reclamation ,project ,act of #aici 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #dhe;h7c774 7d7 ,lease of power privilege contracts shall be at such rates as1 in the ,secretary's judgment1 will produce revenues at least sufficient to cover the appropriate share of the annual operation and maintenance cost of the project and such fixed charges1 including interest1 as the ,secretary deems proper4 ,lease of power privilege contracts shall be for periods not to exceed #dj years4 7e7 ,no findings under section #c shall be required for a lease under subsection 7b74 7f7 ,all right1 title1 and interest to installed power facilities constructed by non-,federal entities pursuant to a lease of power privilege1 and direct revenues derived therefrom1 shall remain with the lessee unless otherwise required under subsection 7g74 7g7 ,notwithstanding section #h1 lease revenues and fixed charges1 if any1 shall be covered into the ,reclamation ,fund to be credited to the project from which those revenues or charges were derived4 7h7 ,when carrying out this section1 the ,secretary shall first offer the lease of power privilege to an irrigation district or water users association operating the applicable transferred conduit1 or to the irrigation district or water users association receiving water from the applicable reserved conduit4 ,the ,secretary shall determine a reasonable timeframe for the irrigation district or water users association to accept or reject a lease of power privilege offer4 ,if the irrigation district or water users association elects not to accept a lease of power privilege offer under subsection 7b71 the ,secretary shall offer the lease of power privilege to other parties using the processes applicable to such leases under section #i7;c7 of the ,reclamation ,project ,act of #aici 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #dhe;h7c774 7i7 ,the ,bureau of ,reclamation shall apply its categorical exclusion process under the ,national ,environmental ,policy ,act of #aifi 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dcba et seq47 to small conduit hydropower development under this section1 excluding siting of associated transmission facilities on ,federal lands4 7j7 ,nothing in this section shall obligate the ,western ,area ,power ,administration or the ,bonneville ,power ,administration to purchase or market any of the power produced by the facilities covered under this section and none of the costs associated with production or delivery of such power shall be assigned to project purposes for inclusion in project rates4 7k7 ,nothing in this section shall alter or impede the delivery and management of water by ,bureau of ,reclamation facilities1 as water used for conduit hydropower generation shall be deemed incidental to use of water for the original project purposes4 ,lease of power privilege shall be made only when1 in the judgment of the ,secretary1 the exercise of the lease will not be incompatible with the purposes of the project or division involved and shall not create any unmitigated financial or physical impacts to the project or division involved4 ,the ,secretary shall notify and consult with the irrigation district or legally organized water users association operating the transferred conduit in advance of offering the lease of power privilege and shall prescribe such terms and conditions necessary to adequately protect the planning1 design1 construction1 operation1 maintenance1 and other interests of the ,united ,states and the project or division involved4 7l7 ,nothing in this section shall alter or affect any agreements in effect on the date of the enactment of the ,bureau of ,reclamation ,conduit ,hydropower ,development ,equity and ,jobs ,act for the development of conduit hydropower projects or disposition of revenues4 7m7 ,in this section3 7#a7 ,the term conduit means any ,bureau of ,reclamation tunnel1 canal1 pipeline1 aqueduct1 flume1 ditch1 or similar manmade water conveyance that is operated for the distribution of water for agricultural1 municipal1 or industrial consumption and not primarily for the generation of electricity4 7#b7 ,the term irrigation district means any irrigation1 water conservation or conservancy1 multi-county water conservation or conservancy district1 or any separate public entity composed of two or more such districts and jointly exercising powers of its member districts4 7#c7 ,the term reserved conduit means any conduit that is included in project works the care1 operation1 and maintenance of which has been reserved by the ,secretary1 through the ,commissioner of the ,bureau of ,reclamation4 7#d7 ,the term transferred conduit means any conduit that is included in project works the care1 operation1 and maintenance of which has been transferred to a legally organized water users association or irrigation district4 7#e7 ,the term small conduit hydropower means a facility capable of producing #e megawatts or less of electric capacity4 4 ,passed the ,house of ,representatives ,december #c1 #bjac4;,clerk4