,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #edde  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #ag1       
#bjai,mr4 ,stewart introduced the       
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,natural ,resources   
,a ,,bill  ,to amend the ,endangered    
,species ,act of #aigc to encourage the 
construction of critical infrastructure1
 and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short    
title ,this ,act may be referred to as  
the ,critical ,infrastructure ,act of   
#bjai4  #b4 ,transparency and reporting 
7a7 ,information included in monthly    
billing to power customers ,the         
,administrators of each of the          
,bonneville ,power ,administration1 the 
,western ,area ,power ,administration1  
the ,southwestern ,power                
,administration1 and the ,southeastern  
,power ,administration shall include in 
monthly billings sent to each of their  
power customers information estimating  
and reporting all costs and factors     
affecting total power costs1 including  

the costs of the customer's share of the
 direct and indirect costs that are     
incurred by the administration related  
to compliance with any ,federal         
environmental laws impacting the        
conservation of fish and wildlife       
considered by the ,administrator        
concerned1 at that ,administrator's sole
 discretion after consultation with     
consumers1 to be relevant4  7b7 ,direct 
costs ,direct costs reported under this 
section shall include ,federal agency   
obligations related to-- 7#a7 costs of  
studies2  7#b7 capital1 operation1      
maintenance1 and replacement costs2 and 
7#c7 staffing costs4  7c7 ,indirect     
costs ,indirect costs reported under    
this section shall include foregone     
generation 7including as a result of    
water lost to comply with any ,federal  
environmental laws impacting the        
conservation of fish and wildlife71 and 
replacement power costs1 including the  
net costs of any transmission4  7d7     
,coordination ,the ,commissioner of the 

,bureau of ,reclamation and the head of 
any other affected ,federal agency shall
 assist the ,administrators with the    
identification of the costs4  7e7       
,report ,no later than ,january #cj of  
each year1 each of the ,administrators  
referred to in subsection 7a71 in       
coordination with the ,bureau of        
,reclamation and other affected ,federal
 agencies1 shall provide an annual      
report to the appropriate committees of 
the ,house of ,representatives and the  
,senate that includes--  7#a7 all       
estimated costs and factors affecting   
total power costs1 including estimates  
of the total direct and indirect costs  
that are incurred by the administration 
related to compliance with any ,federal 
environmental laws impacting the        
conservation of fish and wildlife       
considered by the ,administrator        
concerned1 at that ,administrator's sole
 discretion after consultation with     
consumers1 to be relevant2 and  7#b7 the
 sources of replacement power4  #c4     

,prohibition of designation of certain  
habitat in an artificial water delivery 
or storage facility as critical habitat 
,section #d7;a77#c7 of the ,endangered  
,species ,act of #aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4   
#aecc7;a77#c77 is amended by adding at  
the end the following3  7,c7 ,the       
,secretary shall not designate as       
critical habitat any area in a water    
storage reservoir1 water diversion      
structure1 canal1 or other water        
storage1 diversion1 or delivery         
facility1 where habitat is periodically 
created and destroyed as a result of    
changes in water levels caused by the   
operation of such facility4  4  #d4     
,powerlines access categorical exclusion
 ,any project to install or maintain    
electrical transmission poles or        
powerlines shall be categorically       
excluded under the ,national            
,environmental ,policy ,act 7#db        
,u4,s4,c4 #dcba et seq474  #e4 ,species 
presence in buffer right-of-way         
categorical exclusion ,notwithstanding  

any other provision of law1 a           
construction project that includes a    
buffer area shall be categorically      
excluded under the ,national            
,environmental ,policy ,act 7#db        
,u4,s4,c4 #dcba et seq47 if the project 
would otherwise only require an         
assessment under such ,act because of   
the presence of prairie dogs in such    
buffer area4