Overview
Title
To reauthorize Long Island Sound programs, and for other purposes.
ELI5 AI
H.R. 288 is a bill that wants to keep helping the Long Island Sound by giving it money for projects to keep the water clean from 2025 to 2029, but it doesn't say if the previous help really worked well.
Summary AI
H.R. 288 aims to reauthorize programs related to the Long Island Sound. It extends the funding for grants under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and the Long Island Sound Stewardship Act for the years 2025 through 2029. Additionally, it makes a technical amendment to the wording in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.
Published
Keywords AI
Sources
Bill Statistics
Size
Language
Complexity
AnalysisAI
General Summary of the Bill
The proposed legislation, titled the "Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Reauthorization Act of 2025," aims to extend the authorization for certain programs focused on the Long Island Sound. Originally set to expire in 2023, these programs, authorized under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and the Long Island Sound Stewardship Act of 2006, would be renewed to continue from 2025 through 2029. Additionally, the bill includes a minor technical amendment regarding paragraph numbering in the related legislative text.
Summary of Significant Issues
There are several notable issues identified in the proposal:
Extension Without Rationale: The bill extends funding for Long Island Sound programs without explaining the necessity or success of previous efforts. Without data or evidence to support continued investment, the extension could be considered inefficient or unnecessary.
Lack of Criteria or Guidelines: The bill does not detail the criteria or guidelines for distributing grants related to the Long Island Sound programs. This absence of specificity might raise concerns about transparency and the equitable distribution of funds.
Effectiveness of Existing Programs: The bill doesn't provide insights into whether the programs funded thus far have achieved their environmental goals. Understanding past successes or failures would be critical in justifying further investment and in improving program effectiveness.
Technical Amendment Clarity: The bill includes a technical amendment that changes the paragraph numbering without stating the purpose, which might appear to obscure intentions or lead to questions about the amendment's necessity.
Complexity of Language: While the legal language is straightforward, it could benefit from clarification about beneficiaries and desired outcomes. This would enhance transparency and public understanding of the bill.
Impact on the Public Broadly
The bill, if enacted, would likely impact the broader public by potentially improving the environmental health of Long Island Sound. Healthier waterbodies can lead to improved recreational opportunities, economic benefits from increased tourism, and overall better quality of life for nearby communities. However, without clarity on how success is measured or how funds are allocated, the benefits might not be maximized.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
For stakeholders such as local governments, environmental organizations, and residents around the Long Island Sound, the bill's impact could be significant.
Positive Impacts: If the programs are successful, local economies could benefit from cleaner water and healthier ecosystems, leading possibly to increased property values and business opportunities. Environmental groups might also see this as a victory for conservation efforts.
Negative Impacts: Without clear criteria and transparency, there is potential for resource mismanagement, which could lead to public distrust or failure to address the needs of those most affected by pollution in the Sound.
In summary, the Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Reauthorization Act of 2025 aims to continue crucial environmental programs but lacks detailed rationale and transparency, which are vital for garnering public trust and ensuring the effective use of taxpayer funds.
Issues
The reauthorization timeframe for Long Island Sound programs is extended from '2019 through 2023' to '2025 through 2029' without providing any rationale or justification, raising concerns about potential wastefulness or inefficiency if the effectiveness of current programs has not been evaluated. (Section 2)
The bill lacks specific criteria or guidelines for distributing the Long Island Sound grants, leading to possible issues of favoritism or lack of transparency in grant allocation, which might undermine public trust. (Section 2)
The section does not provide information on whether the existing grants have been effective in achieving their intended environmental goals, making it difficult to ascertain the necessity of extending these programs. (Section 2)
The technical amendment changes paragraph numbering in a section without explaining the purpose or necessity of such a change, which might be seen as obscuring information or lacking transparency. (Section 2)
The language used in the amendments, while straightforward, could benefit from simplification and clarification regarding who benefits from these grants and what the intended outcomes are, to ensure transparency and public understanding. (Section 2)
Sections
Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.
1. Short title Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The first section of this bill states the short title, which is “Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Reauthorization Act of 2025”.
2. Reauthorization of Long Island Sound programs Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section updates the timeline for certain Long Island Sound programs, extending the grant periods from 2025 through 2029, and it makes a small technical change to a part of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act by renumbering one paragraph.