Overview

Title

To amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to allow the District of Columbia to receive Federal funding under such Act, and for other purposes.

ELI5 AI

S. 3633 is a bill that wants to give Washington, D.C., the chance to get the same money help that other places get for taking care of their coastlines and to protect them from floods. Before this, D.C. couldn't get this kind of help because of some old rules.

Summary AI

S. 3633 amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to allow the District of Columbia to receive federal funding that it previously could not access. This change means that the District of Columbia will now be recognized similarly to other regions in the context of this Act, potentially enabling it to gain financial support for managing and protecting its coastal zones. The bill is called the "Flood Prevention Act of 2024" and was introduced by Mr. Carper in the Senate on January 22, 2024.

Published

2024-01-22
Congress: 118
Session: 2
Chamber: SENATE
Status: Introduced in Senate
Date: 2024-01-22
Package ID: BILLS-118s3633is

Bill Statistics

Size

Sections:
2
Words:
211
Pages:
2
Sentences:
9

Language

Nouns: 69
Verbs: 16
Adjectives: 5
Adverbs: 2
Numbers: 13
Entities: 25

Complexity

Average Token Length:
4.09
Average Sentence Length:
23.44
Token Entropy:
4.22
Readability (ARI):
12.99

AnalysisAI

The bill titled "S. 3633" introduced in the 118th Congress seeks to amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972. This amendment is designed to make the District of Columbia eligible for federal funding under the same act. Currently, the District is not included among the areas that can receive such funding, which primarily targets coastal states. The proposed act is designated as the "Flood Prevention Act of 2024."

General Summary of the Bill

The bill aims to modify the existing Coastal Zone Management Act to include the District of Columbia in the list of regions eligible for federal funding aimed at managing coastal zones. This change suggests an intention to address potential flooding or environmental concerns in the District, despite it not being a coastal area in the traditional sense.

Summary of Significant Issues

Several issues arise from this proposed legislation. Firstly, the bill does not provide a justification for why the District of Columbia should be included in the Coastal Zone Management Act's funding. This lack of rationale could lead to questions about the necessity and fairness of the inclusion, as the District does not have a coastline.

Secondly, the bill lacks detailed criteria for how funding eligibility will be determined for the District of Columbia. This absence of specific guidelines may lead to ambiguity in the implementation of the funding and how resources will be utilized effectively.

Moreover, there is no discussion on how this amendment would impact current funding allocations to other regions or whether additional funds will be provided to cover this new inclusion. This omission could lead to financial and budgetary concerns, particularly among stakeholders in coastal states already reliant on these resources.

Public Impact

Broadly, this bill could influence how federal resources are distributed across the nation, particularly in terms of environmental management and flood prevention funding. For the general public, the inclusion of the District of Columbia could be seen as a positive move if it addresses potential environmental concerns within the area, possibly reducing the risk of flood-related issues. However, it may also prompt questions about equitable distribution of federal funds, especially in areas that traditionally depend on such funds for genuine coastal management needs.

Impact on Specific Stakeholders

For residents and administrators in the District of Columbia, this bill, if passed, would likely present an opportunity to access federal funding for managing flooding risks and related environmental issues. In contrast, stakeholders in existing coastal states may view this change with concern, fearing that their share of funding could be reduced or diluted without an increase in the funding pool.

Additionally, policymakers and environmental groups might scrutinize the bill for its lack of detailed implementation strategies and transparency in funding allocation. They may push for additional amendments or clarifications to ensure the equitable and effective use of federal resources.

In summary, while the bill presents potential benefits for the District of Columbia, it raises critical questions about fairness, rationale, and execution that could affect its reception and eventual impact.

Issues

  • The bill proposes including the District of Columbia for Federal funding under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 without providing a justification for this inclusion (Section 2). This lack of rationale could invite scrutiny regarding the necessity and fairness of extending these benefits to the District, potentially raising public and political questions about appropriateness and potential arbitrary decision-making.

  • The absence of detailed criteria for eligibility or specific allocations of funding for the District of Columbia under the Coastal Zone Management Act could result in ambiguity in how the amendment will be implemented (Section 2). This lack of clarity might complicate the fair distribution and utilization of resources, impacting legal and administrative practices.

  • The bill does not address how the inclusion of the District of Columbia will impact the existing funding allocations to other regions or if there will be additional funding provided to accommodate this change (Section 2). This omission could lead to financial concerns or budget reallocation issues among stakeholders and affected regions.

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 the bill states that it can be referred to as the "Flood Prevention Act of 2024."

2. Eligibility of District of Columbia for Federal funding under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The section modifies the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 by adding the District of Columbia to the list of locations eligible for federal funding under the Act.