,i #aahth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #hgc ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,february #h1 #bjbc,mr4 ,donalds 7for himself and ,mr4 ,gottheimer7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,transportation and ,infrastructure1 and in addition to the ,committees on ,energy and ,commerce1 and ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to authorize the ,administrator of the ,environmental ,protection ,agency to award grants and contracts for projects that use emerging technologies to address threats to water quality1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,water ,quality and ,environmental ,innovation ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,science1 technology1 and innovation are major cornerstones of the economy of the ,united ,states4 7#b7 ,throughout the ,united ,states1 there is a growing momentum to address traditional and emerging threats to the ,nation's water resources through innovative technological approaches4 7#c7 ,water quality continues to negatively impact communities in the ,united ,states in a variety of ways4 7#d7 ,water quality improvement and protection efforts pose a unique opportunity for private and public innovators to develop lasting market-based solutions4 #c4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 the ,federal ,government should support innovative solutions to address water quality in the ,united ,states2 7#b7 forward-thinking applications of new and existing technologies will be vital for the ability of communities in the ,united ,states to treat and monitor vital aquatic and environmental resources2 7#c7 supporting an innovative approach to addressing or avoiding water quality degradation will ultimately result in positive changes pertaining to water quality and environmental well-being2 7#d7 utilizing emerging technologies will spur market-based innovation and will further amplify the ongoing efforts to resolve water quality degradation2 and 7#e7 the ,environmental ,protection ,agency and ,state environmental agencies should prioritize the use of emerging technologies1 including artificial intelligence1 quantum information science1 distributed ledger technology1 mechanical harvesting1 aquatic muck dredging1 living shorelines1 living seawalls1 robotics1 nanotechnology1 environmental ,,dna 7e,d,n,a71 and cultivation of aquatic species1 such as seaweed1 seagrass1 kelp1 clams1 oysters1 and mussels1 when creating programs and solutions to address water quality4 #d4 ,establishment of the ,water ,quality and ,environmental ,innovation ,fund 7a7 ,in general ,there is established a fund1 to be known as the ,water ,quality and ,environmental ,innovation ,fund4 7b7 ,transfers to the fund ,on ,october #a of each of fiscal years #bjbd through #bjbh1 there shall be transferred from the special account described in section #feja7;e7 of the ,omnibus ,budget ,reconciliation ,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dcgj;c7e77 to the ,water ,quality and ,environmental ,innovation ,fund1 an amount that is equal to the amount that the ,administrator of the ,environmental ,protection ,agency determines will be collected in such fiscal year from fees and charges under the ,motor ,vehicle and ,engine ,compliance ,program of the ,environmental ,protection ,agency4 7c7 ,expenditures ,amounts in the ,water ,quality and ,environmental ,innovation ,fund-- 7#a7 shall be available1 as provided in appropriations ,acts1 for awarding grants and contracts1 and for other expenses associated with administering such awards1 under section #e2 and 7#b7 shall remain available until ,september #cj1 #bjbh4 #e4 ,awards for projects that use emerging technologies to address threats to water quality 7a7 ,in general ,the ,administrator may award grants and contracts to eligible entities in accordance with this section4 7b7 ,use of funds 7#a7 ,in general ,an eligible entity may use a grant or contract awarded under this section to carry out a project-- 7,a7 that uses an emerging technology1 including artificial intelligence1 quantum information science1 distributed ledger technology1 mechanical harvesting1 aquatic muck dredging1 living shorelines1 living seawalls1 robotics1 nanotechnology1 environmental ,,dna 7e,d,n,a71 and cultivation of aquatic species1 such as seaweed1 seagrass1 kelp1 clams1 oysters1 and mussels1 to address threats to water quality2 or 7,b7 for the research1 development1 or design of such an emerging technology to be used to address threats to water quality4 7#b7 ,water quality threats ,threats to water quality that may be addressed under a project carried out using a grant or contract awarded under this section include-- 7,a7 acidification2 7,b7 the accumulation of plastics1 trash1 and microplastics2 7,c7 hydrologic alterations1 such as restricting tidal flow2 7,d7 nutrient release and eutrophication1 including harmful algal blooms2 7,e7 sea-level rise2 7,f7 waste carbon dioxide accumulations2 7,g7 adverse soil health conditions2 7,h7 erosion and sedimentation2 and 7,i7 karst1 sinkholes1 and land subsidence4 7c7 ,eligible entities ,the ,administrator may-- 7#a7 award grants under this section to any institution of higher education1 nonprofit organization1 or any other entity located or headquartered in the ,united ,states that the ,administrator determines appropriate2 and 7#b7 award contracts under this section to individuals or private for-profit companies that the ,administrator determines appropriate4 7d7 ,requirement ,any results1 including data and statistics1 from a project carried out using a grant or contract awarded under this section shall be freely accessible and useable by the public1 including local1 ,state1 and ,federal government entities4 #f4 ,report ,not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 and annually thereafter1 the ,administrator shall submit to the ,committee on ,environment and ,public ,works of the ,senate1 the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation of the ,senate1 the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce of the ,house of ,representatives1 the ,committee on ,transportation and ,infrastructure of the ,house of ,representatives1 and the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology of the ,house of ,representatives a report describing-- 7#a7 additional benefits that may result from the use of emerging technologies1 including emerging technologies described in section #e7;b77#a77;,a71 to address threats to water quality1 compared to use of existing technologies to address threats to water quality2 7#b7 the recipients of the grants and contracts awarded under this ,act2 7#c7 the types and goals of projects carried out using the grants and contracts awarded under this ,act2 7#d7 the effectiveness of such projects in achieving such goals2 and 7#e7 any other information that the ,administrator determines necessary4 #g4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,administrator ,the term ,administrator means the ,administrator of the ,environmental ,protection ,agency4 7#b7 ,artificial intelligence ,the term artificial intelligence has the meaning given such term in section #ejjb of the ,national ,artificial ,intelligence ,initiative ,act of #bjbj 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #idja74 7#c7 ,distributed ledger technology ,the term distributed ledger technology means technology that enables the operation and use of distributed ledgers that-- 7,a7 are shared across a set of distributed nodes1 including devices or processes1 that participate in a network and store a complete or partial replica of the ledger2 7,b7 are synchronized between the nodes2 7,c7 have data appended to it by following the ledger's specified consensus mechanism2 7,d7 may be accessible to anyone 7public7 or restricted to a subset of participants 7private72 and 7,e7 may require participants to have authorization to perform certain actions 7permissioned7 or require no authorization 7permissionless74 7#d7 ,eligible entity ,the term eligible entity means an entity described in section #e7;c74 7#e7 ,quantum information science ,the term quantum information science has the meaning given such term in section #b of the ,national ,quantum ,initiative ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #hhja74