This bill amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 to increase federal funding for water and wastewater infrastructure projects in Toledo and Oregon, Ohio. It raises the authorized amount for the Secretary of the Army from $10.5 million to $45 million. The legislation also expands the scope of eligible projects to include stormwater management, water supply, and environmental restoration efforts.
This bill increases the federal funding authorization for wastewater infrastructure projects in Kelleys Island, Ohio, from $1 million to $16.5 million. It directly affects the Village of Kelleys Island by providing additional resources to upgrade its water and wastewater systems. The legislation amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 to adjust the specific budget cap for this local project under the Secretary of the Army's authority.
This bill authorizes the Secretary of the Army to conduct a feasibility study for a multipurpose project along the Maumee River in Toledo, Ohio. The proposed project would focus on flood risk management, riverbank stabilization, ecosystem restoration, and recreation opportunities near the Glass City Riverwalk.
This bill requires the Secretary of the Army to speed up the review process for partnership agreements with non-Federal interests in Ohio that aim to find beneficial uses for dredged material from federally authorized harbors. It allows these partners to be reimbursed for their initial funding through future user fees, treating them similarly to private entities under existing law. Additionally, the bill permits the Secretary to enter into these agreements before a full dredged material management plan is completed if doing so would cause significant delays due to complexity or other compelling factors.
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
The PSC Nonpartisan COURTs Act creates a private right of action for any citizen to sue in federal district court if their state fails to meet constitutional or federal redistricting requirements. The bill grants federal courts exclusive jurisdiction over these challenges, requiring that statewide claims be heard by a randomly selected three-judge panel and mandating that all levels of the judiciary expedite the review process. If a court finds a redistricting plan unlawful, it must first allow the state to propose a compliant replacement; if the state does not act in time, the federal court is authorized to adopt its own remedial map.
The Problem Solvers Independent Commissions Act would require all states to draw their congressional district maps through independent commissions rather than state legislatures, starting with the redistricting cycle following the 2030 census. These commissions would be composed of an equal number of members from the two largest political parties and unaffiliated citizens, selected through a random process that allows legislative leaders to remove up to 20 percent of applicants from each group. The bill mandates that commission members complete training on redistricting law and ethics, hold public meetings, and avoid private communications with elected officials or lobbyists while developing maps. If a state's commission fails to enact a final plan before the candidate filing deadline, the existing districts would remain in place for up to eight weeks before the state's highest court appoints special masters to draw the map, explicitly barring the legislature from intervening.
The Problem Solvers MAPS Act requires states to draw congressional districts that are contiguous, compact in shape, and nearly equal in population. It prohibits mapmakers from creating boundaries intended to advantage or disadvantage specific candidates, incumbents, or political parties. Additionally, the law mandates that state officials consider preserving existing political subdivisions like counties, cities, and tribal land boundaries when establishing new districts. These rules apply to any congressional district created on or after the date the act is signed into law.
The Problem Solvers TRUST Act would prohibit states from changing their U.S. House of Representatives district maps during the ten-year period following a census, unless a court orders new lines to comply with federal or state constitutional requirements. If such a court order is issued, the state must make changes that result in the smallest possible alteration to the existing map. The bill also sets a one-year deadline for filing legal challenges against a redistricting plan after it becomes law. These rules would apply to congressional redistricting occurring after the November 2032 federal elections and would not affect how states draw districts for local or state offices.
The Make Apportionment Great Again Act would change how U.S. House seats are distributed among states by excluding noncitizens from the population count used for apportionment. It requires the Secretary of Commerce to recalculate state populations using existing federal and state government records, without conducting a new census, and mandates that future censuses include a question on citizenship status. The bill establishes a legal presumption that any resulting changes in seat allocation are valid, allowing courts to overturn them only with clear evidence of statutory or constitutional violations. Additionally, it creates an expedited judicial process for legal challenges, requiring cases to be heard by three-judge panels and permitting direct appeal to the Supreme Court.
This bill amends the 2009 Omnibus Public Land Management Act to authorize a specific payment of $5,124,902.12 for the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation. The funds are designated as adjusted interest and will be deposited into the tribes' Development Fund. This technical correction ensures that the appropriate financial adjustments from the original water rights settlement are formally recognized and paid out to the affected tribal entities.
The Strengthening Oversight in Public Buildings Act enhances congressional and external oversight of federal real estate management by requiring the General Services Administration (GSA) to share all relevant data and reports with the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The bill clarifies that federal agencies with independent leasing authorities must comply with specific accounting and notification requirements, including submitting a list of such agencies to Congress within one year. It also allows GSA to retain certain buildings as temporary "swing space" to facilitate the sale or renovation of other properties, provided this does not exceed the savings from those transactions and annual plans are submitted to congressional committees. Finally, the legislation extends the authority of the Public Buildings Reform Board through December 31, 2028, and grants it access to building utilization data collected by the Office of Management and Budget and GSA.
