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106th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1915
To enhance the services provided by the Environmental Protection Agency
to small communities that are attempting to comply with national,
State, and local environmental regulations.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 10, 1999
Mr. Jeffords (for himself, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Murkowski, Mr. Schumer, Mr.
Harkin, Mr. Bryan, Mr. Burns, and Mr. Reid) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment
and Public Works
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To enhance the services provided by the Environmental Protection Agency
to small communities that are attempting to comply with national,
State, and local environmental regulations.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Small Community Assistance Act of
1999''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) small communities are concerned about improving the
environmental quality of their surroundings;
(2) many small communities are uncertain of the specific
requirements of environmental regulations;
(3) the involvement of small communities in the development
of Federal environmental regulations often occurs late, if at
all, in the rulemaking process;
(4) small communities are often underrepresented in
processes used to review regulations proposed by the
Environmental Protection Agency;
(5) the limited scientific, technical, and professional
capacity of many small communities makes understanding
regulatory requirements very difficult;
(6) specific provisions in certain environmental laws pose
compliance problems for small communities; and
(7) the Small Town Environmental Planning Task Force,
established by section 109 of the Federal Facility Compliance
Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 6908) to examine the relationship
between the Environmental Protection Agency and small
communities, recommends additional efforts to improve the
services offered by the Environmental Protection Agency to
small communities.
SEC. 3. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to foster a healthy environment in which
people in small communities may enjoy a sustainable and continually
improving quality of life.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
(2) Advisory committee.--The term ``advisory committee''
means the small community advisory committee established under
section 5.
(3) Agency.--The term ``Agency'' means the Environmental
Protection Agency.
(4) Small community.--The term ``small community'' means a
county, parish, borough, or incorporated or unincorporated
municipality with a population of fewer than 7,500 persons.
SEC. 5. SMALL COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
(a) Establishment.--The Administrator shall establish a small
community advisory committee or reconstitute an existing small
community advisory committee.
(b) Membership.--The advisory committee shall be composed of
representatives of--
(1) small communities and unincorporated areas of the
United States, including at least 1 small community member from
each of the 10 Agency regions;
(2) Federal and State governmental agencies; and
(3) public interest groups.
(c) Duties.--The advisory committee shall--
(1) identify means to improve the working relationship
between the Agency and small communities;
(2) serve as a mechanism for involving small communities as
early as practicable in the process of developing environmental
regulations, guidance, and policies;
(3) provide periodic reports to Congress on the Agency's
success in meeting the needs of small communities; and
(4) provide such other assistance to the Administrator as
the Administrator considers appropriate.
SEC. 6. REGULATORY REVIEW PLAN.
The Administrator shall develop and implement a plan to increase
the involvement of small communities in the regulatory review processes
conducted under chapter 6 of title 5, United States Code (commonly
known as the ``Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980''), the Small
Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-
121; 5 U.S.C. 601 note), and title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform
Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
SEC. 7. REGIONAL OUTREACH TO SMALL COMMUNITIES.
(a) Small Town Ombudsman Office.--
(1) Establishment.--To complement work on small communities
at Agency headquarters, each regional office of the Agency
shall establish and staff a Small Town Ombudsman Office.
(2) Duties.--The primary responsibility of each regional
Small Town Ombudsman Office shall be to serve as--
(A) an advocate for small communities; and
(B) a facilitator for addressing small community
concerns and programs.
(3) Resources.--Using funds that are otherwise available to
the Agency, the Administrator shall provide the regional Small
Town Ombudsman Offices with such human and capital resources as
are sufficient for the offices to carry out their functions in
a timely and efficient manner.
(b) Consultation Process.--Each regional Small Town Ombudsman
Office shall establish a regular, on-going consultation process with
small communities in the region, such as by use of a focus group,
stakeholder network, or advisory board, to--
(1) serve as a mechanism for involving small communities in
the process of implementing, creating, and informing the public
about environmental regulations, guidance, and policies; and
(2) provide such other assistance as the regional office
considers appropriate.
SEC. 8. SURVEY OF SMALL COMMUNITIES.
(a) In General.--Every 5 years, the Small Town Ombudsman Office
shall--
(1) conduct a survey of small communities; and
(2) publish the results of the survey.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the survey shall be to provide
information to the Agency and others for use in regulatory planning,
development, and outreach.
(c) Information.--The survey shall collect information on--
(1) information sources used by small communities to learn
of and implement environmental regulations;
(2) the presence of facilities and activities affecting
environmental quality in small communities;
(3) the financial instruments used by small communities to
fund the costs of environmentally related services;
(4) persons in small communities that may be contacted for
information on environmental compliance;
(5) specific topic areas of regulation particularly
relevant to small communities;
(6) innovative examples of how small communities have
complied with national, State, and local environmental
regulations in order to protect environmental and public
health; and
(7) any other topic that the Administrator considers
appropriate.
SEC. 9. GUIDE FOR SMALL COMMUNITIES.
(a) In General.--Not later than June 30, 1999, the Administrator
shall produce and distribute to small communities a guide to Federal
environmental requirements for small communities.
(b) Contents.--The guide shall--
(1) describe all mandated environmental requirements
applicable to small communities; and
(2) provide Federal, regional, and State contacts for all
such environmental requirements.
(c) Updating.--Not less frequently than annually, the Administrator
shall--
(1) review and update any parts of the guide that pertain
to requirements that have changed; and
(2) distribute guide amendments to small communities.
SEC. 10. FEEDBACK PLAN.
The Administrator shall develop and implement a plan for
periodically obtaining feedback from small communities on the
effectiveness of the Agency in--
(1) involving small communities in regulatory development
and implementation; and
(2) reaching out to small communities to provide
educational and other assistance.
SEC. 11. NO IMPOSITION OF COSTS ON SMALL COMMUNITIES.
The Administrator shall not impose on any small community any cost
incurred in carrying out this Act.
SEC. 12. REPORT.
Not later than the date that is 2 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report
describing the regulatory review plan developed under section 6, the
feedback plan developed under section 10, and other activities
conducted in carrying out this Act.
SEC. 13. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act
$5,000,000.
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Pages: 1 Other Popular 106th Congressional Bills Documents:
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