,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dafb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #ah1    
#bjbd,mr4 ,rubio 7for himself and ,mr4  
,scott of ,florida7 introduced the      
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,environment and ,public ,works  ,a     
,,bill  ,to ensure that certain permit  
approvals by the ,environmental         
,protection ,agency have the force and  
effect of law1 and for other purposes4  
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,maintaining ,cooperative       
,permitting ,act of #bjbd4  #b4 ,state  
discharge of dredged or fill material   
programs  7a7 ,withdrawal of approval   
without congressional authorization     
prohibited  7#a7 ,in general ,the permit
 programs described in paragraph 7#b7   
are ratified1 approved1 and of full     
force and effect1 and the ,administrator
 of the ,environmental ,protection      
,agency 7referred to in this section as 
the ,administrator7 may not withdraw the

 approval of those permit programs      
unless the withdrawal is expressly      
authorized by an ,act of ,congress      
enacted after the date of enactment of  
this ,act4  7#b7 ,permit programs       
described ,the permit programs referred 
to in paragraph 7#a7 are the following  
,state permit programs for the discharge
 of dredged or fill material approved   
under section #djd of the ,federal      
,water ,pollution ,control ,act 7#cc    
,u4,s4,c4 #acdd73 7,a7 ,the program of  
the ,state of ,michigan1 approved in the
 notice of the ,environmental           
,protection ,agency entitled ,michigan  
,department of ,natural ,resources      
,section #djd ,permit ,program ,approval
 7#di ,fed4 ,reg4 #chidg 7,october #b1  
#aihd77 and as described in section     
#bcc4gj of title #dj1 ,code of ,federal 
,regulations 7including any updates to  
the program described in a successor    
,federal ,register notice74  7,b7 ,the  
program of the ,state of ,new ,jersey1  
approved in the final rule and notice of

 the ,environmental ,protection ,agency 
entitled ,new ,jersey ,department of    
,environmental ,protection and ,energy  
,section #djd ,permit ,program ,approval
 7#ei ,fed4 ,reg4 #iicc 7,march #b1     
#aiid77 and as described in section     
#bcc4ga of title #dj1 ,code of ,federal 
,regulations 7including any updates to  
the program described in a successor    
,federal ,register notice74  7,c7 ,the  
program of the ,state of ,florida1 as   
described in the notice of the          
,environmental ,protection ,agency      
entitled ,,epa's ,approval of ,florida's
 ,clean ,water ,act ,section #djd       
,assumption ,request 7#he ,fed4 ,reg4   
#hceec 7,december #bb1 #bjbj77          
7including any updates to the program   
described in a successor ,federal       
,register notice71 including the        
,programmatic ,biological ,opinion with 
,incidental ,take ,statement associated 
with the program4  7#c7 ,savings        
provision ,nothing in this subsection   
prohibits the ,administrator1 in        

accordance with section #djd7;i7 of the 
,federal ,water ,pollution ,control ,act
 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 #acdd7;i771 from        
withdrawing approval of a permit program
 described in paragraph 7#b7 if the     
,administrator determines that a ,state 
is not administering the permit program 
as approved4  7b7 ,clarification of     
process ,section #djd7;h7 of the        
,federal ,water ,pollution ,control ,act
 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 #acdd7;h77 is amended by
 adding at the end the following3  7#f7 
,not a rule or regulation ,the approval 
of a ,state permit program under this   
section shall not be considered to be a 
rule or regulation4  4