Overview

Title

To establish an interest-bearing account for the non-Federal contributions to the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, and for other purposes.

ELI5 AI

Imagine a big piggy bank just for helping animals and plants near a river. This bill wants to create that piggy bank and have it earn extra coins while safely helping with riverside conservation.

Summary AI

S. 291 proposes the creation of an interest-bearing account by the U.S. Treasury to hold non-Federal contributions for the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program. It is part of an amendment to the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. The fund will consist of both past and future contributions from State Parties and will earn interest through investments in U.S. government obligations. This account aims to support conservation efforts by using the funds and any interests accrued according to the program's pre-established guidelines.

Published

2025-01-29
Congress: 119
Session: 1
Chamber: SENATE
Status: Introduced in Senate
Date: 2025-01-29
Package ID: BILLS-119s291is

Keywords AI

lower colorado river multi-species conservation program interest-bearing account non-federal contributions omnibus public land management act u.s. treasury fund management state contributions conservation funding investment in u.s. obligations fund mismanagement secretary of the treasury responsibilities

Sources

Bill Statistics

Size

Sections:
2
Words:
829
Pages:
5
Sentences:
18

Language

Nouns: 272
Verbs: 51
Adjectives: 37
Adverbs: 5
Numbers: 26
Entities: 56

Complexity

Average Token Length:
4.04
Average Sentence Length:
46.06
Token Entropy:
4.79
Readability (ARI):
23.74

AnalysisAI

Summary of the Bill

This bill, titled the "Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program Amendment Act of 2025," proposes establishing an interest-bearing account within the U.S. Treasury designated for non-federal contributions to the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program. The intent is to ensure that funds provided by state-level parties for conservation efforts along the Lower Colorado River are properly managed and invested.

The bill amends the existing Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to formalize this new fund, outlining how it will collect, manage, and invest contributions from state governments. The Secretary of the Treasury is tasked with overseeing these deposits and investments, which will be limited to interest-bearing U.S. government obligations. The goal is to enhance funding support for conservation activities safeguarding the diverse species that inhabit the Lower Colorado River region.

Summary of Significant Issues

Several issues are noticeable in the bill's provisions, which could affect its effectiveness and clarity:

  • Lack of Guidelines for Interest Management: The bill does not offer clear guidelines on how the interest earned from the investments will be managed or allocated, potentially leading to ambiguity and mismanagement.

  • Secretary's Discretion: The provision allows the Secretary of the Treasury significant discretion in determining the fund's needs without a clear framework or criteria, leading to potential arbitrary or inconsistent decision-making.

  • Oversight and Accountability Concerns: The bill falls short of detailing a specific process for oversight or auditing, which might invite risks of mismanagement.

  • Legal and Procedural Ambiguities: References to the specific "Agreement" and "Program Documents" are vague, which could cause confusion for stakeholders unfamiliar with these documents.

  • Dispute Handling and Investment Risks: The responsibility of State Parties to avoid losses due to investments is mentioned without clarity on how possible disputes will be resolved or managed.

Impact on the Public

The impact of this bill on the public will mainly manifest in terms of environmental conservation and fiscal responsibility. By ensuring that funds for conservation are effectively invested and managed, the bill potentially extends ecosystem sustainability along the Lower Colorado River, which benefits communities reliant on this environment for livelihoods, recreation, and tourism.

Impact on Specific Stakeholders

For state governments or "State Parties" who contribute to this fund, a clearer structure for investment and management of their contributions can raise confidence in the program's fiscal health and accountability. However, without clear guidelines, they may encounter challenges related to financial oversight and accountability, especially concerning how their investments are managed.

On the positive side, if managed well, the interest-bearing account could generate additional resources for conservation activities without raising taxes or requiring additional appropriations from taxpayers. This approach could favorably impact environmental agencies and conservation groups that rely on stable and enhanced funding streams for their projects.

Conclusion

Overall, while the bill aims to streamline funding for significant conservation activities, it needs further clarification and structure to address specific procedural issues and enhance public trust in its implementation. Further refinement could ensure that it not only meets fiscal accountability standards but also facilitates effective environmental conservation efforts.

Issues

  • The bill establishes a fund without clear guidelines on how the interest earned will be managed or allocated, potentially leading to uncertainty or mismanagement (Section 2).

  • The provision allowing the Secretary of the Treasury to determine the current needs of the Fund lacks a clear framework or criteria, which could lead to arbitrary decision-making (Section 2, paragraph 4(A)).

  • There is no specific process for oversight or auditing of the Fund and its expenditures, increasing the risk of mismanagement or lack of accountability (Section 2).

  • The text does not specify any penalties or consequences for misuse or mismanagement of the Fund, potentially reducing accountability (Section 2).

  • The responsibility of State Parties to avoid losses due to investment is mentioned, but there is no detail on how disputes regarding these investments will be handled (Section 2, paragraph 5(C)).

  • The term 'Agreement' refers to a specific agreement, but there's no detailed description of what it entails beyond its name and date, which may limit understanding for those unfamiliar with it (Section 2, paragraph 1(A)).

  • The text includes references to 'Program Documents' without providing a specific definition or access to these documents, which creates potential ambiguity about the governance of the funding process (Section 2, paragraph 3(B)).

  • There is potential complexity in the legal language used, which could be clarified to ensure broader understanding and compliance (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 act specifies its official title, which is the "Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program Amendment Act of 2025."

2. Interest-bearing fund Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

In this section, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 is amended to establish a fund in the U.S. Treasury called the "Non-Federal Funding Account for the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program." This fund will collect and manage contributions from states and invest these amounts in interest-bearing U.S. obligations to support conservation efforts, with the Secretary of the Treasury responsible for managing deposits and investments.