S. 161: A bill to authorize implementation of the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement, and for other purposes.

111th Congress · introduced 2009-01-06 · Water Resources Development · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2009-01-06 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

A bill to authorize implementation of the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement, and for other purposes.

Plain summary

San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior (the Secretary), in cooperation with the state of California, to implement the Stipulation of Settlement dated September 13, 2006, in Natural Resources Defense Council, et al. v. Kirk Rodgers, et al. , United States District Court, Eastern District of California. Directs the Secretary to: (1) enter into agreements with California to facilitate or expedite Settlement implementation; and (2) identify impacts of facilities construction or operation decisions and measures to mitigate such impacts on adjacent and downstream water users and landowners before implementing such decisions. Provides that Settlement implementation and the reintroduction of Chinook salmon shall not result in the involuntary reduction in contract water allocations to Central Valley Project long-term contractors other than Friant Division contractors. Requires the Secretary to prepare an environmental analysis prior to releasing Interim Flows. Authorizes the Secretary to release such flows to the extent that they would not impede or delay completion of specified measures in the Settlement or exceed existing downstream channel capacities. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) purchase property needed to implement the Settlement; and (2) dispose of such property and deposit proceeds into the San Joaquin River Restoration Fund established in the Treasury. Declares that the Settlement satisfies and discharges the Secretary's obligations under the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992. Provides for the reintroduction of California Central Valley Spring Run Chinook salmon into the San Joaquin River. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, to provide direct financial assistance to the California Water Institute to study coordination and integration of sub-regional integrated regional water management plans into a unified plan. Directs the Secretary to conduct feasibility studies on: (1) restoration of the capacity of the Friant-Kern Canal and Madera Canal; and (2) reverse flow pump-back facilities on the Friant-Kern Canal. Authorizes the Secretary to provide financial assistance to local agencies within the Central Valley Project for facilities to bank water underground or to recharge groundwater and to recover such water.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

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A “Nay” vote

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PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

A bill to authorize implementation of the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement, and for other purposes.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Obligation: A binding promise by a government agency to pay money, for example by signing a contract or awarding a grant. Spending data such as USAspending.gov counts money when it is obligated, which can be before it is actually paid out.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111s161.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/s>

Record fed-us-cong111-s161 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111