text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Water Desalination Act of 1996''.
  
  SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
  
      As used in this Act:
          (1) Desalination or desalting.--The terms ``desalination'' or 
      ``desalting'' mean the use of any process or technique for the 
      removal and, when feasible, adaptation to beneficial use, of 
      organic and inorganic elements and compounds from saline or 
      biologically impaired waters, by itself or in conjunction with 
      other processes.
          (2) Saline water.--The term ``saline water'' means sea water, 
      brackish water, and other mineralized or chemically impaired water.
          (3) United states.--The term ``United States'' means the States 
      of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of 
      Puerto Rico, and the territories and possessions of the United 
      States.
          (4) Usable water.--The term ``usable water'' means water of a 
      high quality suitable for environmental enhancement, agricultural, 
      industrial, municipal, and other beneficial consumptive or 
      nonconsumptive uses.
          (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
      the Interior.
  
  SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF RESEARCH AND STUDIES.
  
      (a) In General.--In order to determine the most cost-effective and 
  technologically efficient means by which usable water can be produced 
  from saline water or water otherwise impaired or contaminated, the 
  Secretary is authorized to award grants and to enter into contracts, to 
  the extent provided in advance in appropriation Acts, to conduct, 
  encourage, and assist in the financing of research to develop processes 
  for converting saline water into water suitable for beneficial uses. 
  Awards of research grants and contracts under this section shall be 
  made on the basis of a competitive, merit-reviewed process. Research 
  and study topics authorized by this section include--
          (1) investigating desalination processes;
          (2) ascertaining the optimum mix of investment and operating 
      costs;
          (3) determining the best designs for different conditions of 
      operation;
          (4) investigating methods of increasing the economic efficiency 
      of desalination processes through dual-purpose co-facilities with 
      other processes involving the use of water;
          (5) conducting or contracting for technical work, including the 
      design, construction, and testing of pilot systems and test beds, 
      to develop desalting processes and concepts;
          (6) studying methods for the recovery of byproducts resulting 
      from desalination to offset the costs of treatment and to reduce 
      environmental impacts from those byproducts; and
          (7) salinity modeling and toxicity analysis of brine 
      discharges, cost reduction strategies for constructing and 
      operating desalination facilities, and the horticultural effects of 
      desalinated water used for irrigation.
      (b) Project Recommendations and Reports to the Congress.--As soon 
  as practicable and within three years after the date of enactment of 
  this Act, the Secretary shall recommend to Congress desalination 
  demonstration projects or full-scale desalination projects to carry out 
  the purposes of this Act and to further evaluate and implement the 
  results of research and studies conducted under the authority of this 
  section. Recommendations for projects shall be accompanied by reports 
  on the engineering and economic feasibility of proposed projects and 
  their environmental impacts.
      (c) Authority To Engage Others.--In carrying out research and 
  studies authorized in this section, the Secretary may engage the 
  necessary personnel, industrial or engineering firms, Federal 
  laboratories, water resources research and technology institutes, other 
  facilities, and educational institutions suitable to conduct 
  investigations and studies authorized under this section.
      (d) Alternative Technologies.--In carrying out the purposes of this 
  Act, the Secretary shall ensure that at least three separate 
  technologies are evaluated and demonstrated for the purposes of 
  accomplishing desalination.
  
  SEC. 4. DESALINATION DEMONSTRATION AND DEVELOPMENT.
  
      (a) In General.--In order to further demonstrate the feasibility of 
  desalination processes investigated either independently or in research 
  conducted pursuant to section 3, the Secretary shall administer and 
  conduct a demonstration and development program for water desalination 
  and related activities, including the following:
          (1) Desalination plants and modules.--Conduct or contract for 
      technical work, including the design, construction, and testing of 
      plants and modules to develop desalination processes and concepts.
          (2) Byproducts.--Study methods for the marketing of byproducts 
      resulting from the desalting of water to offset the costs of 
      treatment and to reduce environmental impacts of those byproducts.
          (3) Economic surveys.--Conduct economic studies and surveys to 
      determine present and prospective costs of producing water for 
      beneficial purposes in various locations by desalination processes 
      compared to other methods.
      (b) Cooperative Agreements.--Federal participation in desalination 
  activities may be conducted through cooperative agreements, including 
  cost-sharing agreements, with non-Federal public utilities and State 
  and local governmental agencies and other entities, in order to develop 
  recommendations for Federal participation in processes and plants 
  utilizing desalting technologies for the production of water.
  
  SEC. 5. AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION.
  
      All information from studies sponsored or funded under authority of 
  this Act shall be considered public information.
  
  SEC. 6. TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE.
  
      The Secretary may--
          (1) accept technical and administrative assistance from States 
      and public or private agencies in connection with studies, surveys, 
      location, construction, operation, and other work relating to the 
      desalting of water, and
          (2) enter into contracts or agreements stating the purposes for 
      which the assistance is contributed and providing for the sharing 
      of costs between the Secretary and any such agency.
  
  SEC. 7. COST SHARING.
  
      The Federal share of the cost of a research, study, or 
  demonstration project or a desalination development project or activity 
  carried out under this Act shall not exceed 50 percent of the total 
  cost of the project or research or study activity. A Federal 
  contribution in excess of 25 percent for a project carried out under 
  this Act may not be made unless the Secretary determines that the 
  project is not feasible without such increased Federal contribution. 
  The Secretary shall prescribe appropriate procedures to implement the 
  provisions of this section. Costs of operation, maintenance, repair, 
  and rehabilitation of facilities funded under the authority of this Act 
  shall be non-Federal responsibilities.
  
  SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
  
      (a) Section 3.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
  out section 3 of this Act $5,000,000 per year for fiscal years 1997 
  through 2002. Of these amounts, up to $1,000,000 in each fiscal year 
  may be awarded to institutions of higher education, including United 
  States-Mexico binational research foundations and interuniversity 
  research programs established by the two countries, for research grants 
  without any cost-sharing requirement.
      (b) Section 4.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
  out section 4 of this Act $25,000,000 for fiscal years 1997 through 
  2002.
  
  SEC. 9. CONSULTATION.
  
      In carrying out the provisions of this Act, the Secretary shall 
  consult with the heads of other Federal agencies, including the 
  Secretary of the Army, which have experience in conducting desalination 
  research or operating desalination facilities. The authorization 
  provided for in this Act shall not prohibit other agencies from 
  carrying out separately authorized programs for desalination research 
  or operations.
  
                                 Speaker of the House of Representatives.
  
                              Vice President of the United States and    
                                                 President of the Senate.
target: Water Desalination Act of 1996 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to award grants and contracts to conduct, encourage, and assist in the financing of research to develop processes for converting saline water into water suitable for beneficial uses. Provides appropriate research and study topics. 
  Requires the Secretary to recommend to the Congress desalination demonstration projects or full-scale desalination projects to carry out the purposes of this Act and to further evaluate and implement the results of the research and studies conducted. 
  (Sec. 4) Directs the Secretary to administer and conduct a demonstration and development program for water desalination and related activities, including desalination plants and modules, byproducts marketing, economic cost surveys, and desalination cooperative agreements. 
  (Sec. 5) Requires all information from studies sponsored or funded under this Act to be considered public information. 
  (Sec. 6) Authorizes the Secretary to accept technical and administrative assistance in carrying out this Act. 
  (Sec. 7) Provides Federal cost-sharing limitations for demonstration or development projects conducted under this Act. 
  (Sec. 8) Authorizes appropriations for FY 1997 through 2002. 
  (Sec. 9) Requires the Secretary to consult with the heads of Federal agencies which have experience in conducting desalination research or operating desalination facilities.
feat_title: Water Desalination Act of 1996