HR3428-119

What This Bill Does

The Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commissions Review Act directs the Comptroller General to begin, within one year, a review of three interstate water-governance bodies: the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, the Delaware River Basin Commission, and the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin. GAO must examine each commission's ethics policies and practices, how each communicates with the public, the current federal responsibilities at each commission, what federal agencies do to carry out those responsibilities, federal and state funding levels and sources, whether commission duties overlap with other federal authorities, and policies or best practices for reporting commission activities. GAO must report findings and recommendations to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, including possible statutory, administrative, or ethics-policy changes to increase transparency and congressional oversight. Each covered commission must then submit a plan within 90 days, and annually for five years, detailing actions taken to comply with GAO recommendations.

Who Benefits and How

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee staff, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee staff, state water officials, federal water agencies, public users of river-basin information, ratepayers affected by basin decisions, local governments in the Susquehanna basin, local governments in the Delaware basin, and local governments in the Potomac basin benefit because the review can reveal ethics gaps, duplicative duties, unclear federal roles, funding patterns, and weak reporting practices that affect regional water governance.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Government Accountability Office, Susquehanna River Basin Commission, Delaware River Basin Commission, Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, federal agencies with commission responsibilities, state funding partners, and commission ethics staff bear burdens because they must provide records, explain funding and federal responsibilities, respond to oversight findings, and submit annual compliance plans for five years after GAO reports.

Key Provisions

• Requires GAO to initiate a review of the three Mid-Atlantic river basin commissions within one year.
• Requires review of ethics policies, public communications, federal responsibilities, funding sources, overlapping duties, and reporting practices.
• Requires GAO to report findings and transparency or oversight recommendations to House and Senate committees.
• Requires each covered commission to submit a compliance plan within 90 days after the GAO report.
• Requires annual commission compliance plans for five years after the report.