,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ajad  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,march #ac1    
#bjbe,mrs4 ,moody 7for herself 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 #bjbe4  #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 programs1     
including through the process described 
in section #djd7;i7 of the ,federal     
,water ,pollution ,control ,act 7#cc    
,u4,s4,c4 #acdd7;i771 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 ,program        
transition period ,during the #ij-;day  
period beginning on the date of         
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of the ,army1 acting through the ,chief 
of ,engineers 7referred to in this      
section as the ,secretary71 and the     
,state of ,florida may both issue       
permits authorized under the program    
described in paragraph 7#b77;,c7 into   
navigable waters 7as described in       
subsection #djd7;g77#a7 of the ,federal 
,water ,pollution ,control ,act 7#cc    
,u4,s4,c4 #acdd7;g77#a777 within the    
jurisdiction of the ,state of ,florida4 
7#d7 ,approval of comparable state      
programs  7,a7 ,in general ,if the      
,administrator determines that a ,state 
program submitted under subsection      
7g77#a7 of section #djd of the ,federal 
,water ,pollution ,control ,act 7#cc    
,u4,s4,c4 #acdd7 is comparable to a     
,state program described in any of      
subparagraphs 7,a7 through 7,c7 of      

paragraph 7#b71 the ,administrator shall
 make the determination described in    
subsection 7h77#b77;,a7 of that section 
with respect to that program4  7,b7     
,notification ,on making the            
determination required under            
subparagraph 7,a71 the ,administrator   
shall notify the ,secretary and the     
applicable ,state of that determination4
  7,c7 ,suspension ,on notification from
 the ,administrator under subparagraph  
7,b7 and from a ,state that the ,state  
has begun to administer a program       
approved pursuant to subparagraph 7,a71 
the ,secretary shall suspend the        
issuance of permits under subsections   
7a7 and 7e7 of section #djd of the      
,federal ,water ,pollution ,control ,act
 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 #acdd7 for activities   
with respect to which a permit may be   
issued by the ,state under that program4
  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