Overview

Title

To amend the Boulder Canyon Project Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to expend amounts in the Colorado River Dam fund, and for other purposes.

ELI5 AI

The bill wants to change a rule so that a very important person in charge can use money from a special piggy bank called the Colorado River Dam fund to take care of the Hoover Dam and fix it if needed.

Summary AI

S. 4016 proposes to amend the Boulder Canyon Project Act by allowing the Secretary of the Interior to use funds from the Colorado River Dam fund for various purposes related to the Hoover Dam. This includes carrying out operations, maintenance, investigations, cleanup activities, and capital improvements. The expenditure of these funds will require approval from the Boulder Canyon Project contractors, as outlined in the Hoover Power Allocation Act of 2011. The bill is supported by several senators and was referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Published

2024-03-21
Congress: 118
Session: 2
Chamber: SENATE
Status: Introduced in Senate
Date: 2024-03-21
Package ID: BILLS-118s4016is

Keywords AI

boulder canyon project act secretary of the interior colorado river dam fund hoover dam boulder canyon project contractors hoover power allocation act of 2011 non-reimbursable funds investigation and cleanup actions help hoover dam act financial oversight

Sources

Bill Statistics

Size

Sections:
2
Words:
338
Pages:
2
Sentences:
5

Language

Nouns: 116
Verbs: 25
Adjectives: 9
Adverbs: 3
Numbers: 13
Entities: 32

Complexity

Average Token Length:
4.06
Average Sentence Length:
67.60
Token Entropy:
4.55
Readability (ARI):
34.97

AnalysisAI

The "Help Hoover Dam Act" is proposed legislation aiming to make amendments to the Boulder Canyon Project Act. It seeks to empower the Secretary of the Interior to utilize funds from the Colorado River Dam fund for various maintenance and improvement activities related to the Hoover Dam. The bill acknowledges the need for financial resources in both operational and cleanup undertakings, including capital enhancements at the Hoover Dam.

General Summary of the Bill

The primary function of this bill, identified as S. 4016 in the Senate, is to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to expend money from a specific fund associated with the Hoover Dam. This fund, including certain non-reimbursable finances, will be allocated towards authorized activities encompassing operations, maintenance, investigation, cleanup actions, and enhancements to infrastructure at Hoover Dam. An additional stipulation in this bill is the requirement for these expenditures to be reviewed and approved by Boulder Canyon Project contractors.

Summary of Significant Issues

Several issues are noteworthy concerning the bill's provisions:

  1. Lack of Specificity in "Authorized Activities": The bill does not clearly define what constitutes 'authorized activity,' leading to potential ambiguities and the possibility of funds being misallocated to activities that may not be of immediate priority.

  2. Approval Process and Potential Conflicts of Interest: The bill stipulates that any funds expended require the review and approval of Boulder Canyon Project contractors. This could present a potential conflict of interest and raises questions about transparency and accountability in the allocation of funds.

  3. Identification of Non-reimbursable Funds: There is a lack of clarity over which funds are deemed non-reimbursable and how these determinations are made, which may lead to concerns about financial oversight and responsibility.

  4. Broad Terminology: Terms such as "investigation and cleanup actions" are used broadly without specific definitions, which could lead to misinterpretation or misuse of funds for activities not directly related to the intended purpose.

  5. Reference to Existing Legislation: The bill refers to the Hoover Power Allocation Act of 2011 for the involvement of project contractors, but lacks context or a summary of its relevance, complicating the understanding for stakeholders without existing legislative knowledge.

Impact on the Public and Stakeholders

Impact on the Public

Broadly, the bill's impact on the public relates to its intention to maintain and improve one of the United States' critical infrastructures—Hoover Dam. By ensuring that funds are available for upkeep and enhancements, the dam's long-term safety, efficiency, and utility can be maintained, which is of national interest given its significant role in water and power supply.

Impact on Specific Stakeholders

For contractors and entities associated with the Boulder Canyon Project, this bill could provide clear financial opportunities through allocated funds, dependent on their approval as described in the provisions. However, this also presents concerns regarding the potential for favoritism or conflicts of interest that might privilege specific parties involved over broad-based accountability. Government entities such as the Department of the Interior will need clear guidelines to effectively manage and execute these expenditures transparently and justly.

Overall, while the bill focuses on facilitating necessary investments in Hoover Dam's continuing operations, it raises questions of financial oversight, legislative transparency, and equity among stakeholders, potentially requiring more precise definitions and controls to ensure its goals are met responsibly.

Issues

  • The section labeled 'Authorization to expend amounts' does not specify the criteria for 'authorized activity,' leading to ambiguous interpretations and potential misuse of funds. This lack of specificity can result in financial mismanagement or allocation towards non-priority projects. (Section 2)

  • The requirement for the 'review and approval of the Boulder Canyon Project contractors' could create a conflict of interest or appear to favor these contractors without clearly defined oversight criteria or processes. This is a significant ethical concern since it relates to accountability and transparency in the approval process. (Section 2)

  • The bill references specific account money (XXXR5656P1) and states these funds are non-reimbursable, but lacks clarity on which funds these are and how they were determined to be non-reimbursable. This presents a financial issue where the public needs assurance that the funds are being used appropriately. (Section 2)

  • The phrase 'investigation and cleanup actions' is broad and should be more specifically defined to ensure clarity about what types of activities and costs are permissible, preventing potential misuse of allocated funds for unrelated activities. (Section 2)

  • The amendment references the Hoover Power Allocation Act of 2011 but does not provide context or a summary about how it affects the approval process. This increases the complexity for stakeholders trying to understand the full implications of the bill, necessitating cross-referencing multiple legislative documents. (Section 2)

  • The short title 'Help Hoover Dam Act' is vague and does not specify the purpose or scope of the act, potentially leading to ambiguity and lack of clarity regarding its intention and provisions. This can affect both public perception and legislative transparency. (Section 1)

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 section specifies the short title of the Act, allowing it to be referred to as the “Help Hoover Dam Act”.

2. Authorization to expend amounts Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The Secretary of the Interior is allowed to use money from a specific fund for activities like maintenance and improvements at the Hoover Dam, but it requires approval from the Boulder Canyon Project contractors.