33 USC 2251 - Inland Waterways Users Board

View all text of Subchapter III [§ 2251 - § 2255a]

§ 2251. Inland Waterways Users Board

(a) Establishment of Users Board

(b) Duties of Users Board

(1) In general

(2) Advice and recommendations

For commercial navigation features and components of the inland waterways and inland harbors of the United States, the Users Board shall provide—

(A) prior to the development of the budget proposal of the President for a given fiscal year, advice and recommendations to the Secretary regarding construction and rehabilitation priorities and spending levels;

(B) advice and recommendations to Congress regarding any feasibility report for a project on the inland waterway system that has been submitted to Congress pursuant to section 2282d of this title;

(C) advice and recommendations to Congress regarding an increase in the authorized cost of those features and components;

(D) not later than 60 days after the date of the submission of the budget proposal of the President to Congress, advice and recommendations to Congress regarding construction and rehabilitation priorities and spending levels; and

(E) advice and recommendations on the development of a long-term capital investment program in accordance with subsection (d).

(3) Project development teams

(4) Independent judgment

The Secretary shall—

(1) communicate not less frequently than once each quarter to the Users Board the status of the study, design, or construction of all commercial navigation features or components of the inland waterways or inland harbors of the United States; and

(2) submit to the Users Board a courtesy copy of all completed feasibility reports relating to a commercial navigation feature or component of the inland waterways or inland harbors of the United States.

(d) Capital investment program

(1) In general

(2) Consideration

(3) Criteria

In developing the plan and prioritization criteria under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that investments made under the 20-year program described in paragraph (1)—

(A) are made in all geographical areas of the inland waterways system; and

(B) ensure efficient funding of inland waterways projects.

(4) Strategic review and update

Not later than 5 years after June 10, 2014, and not less frequently than once every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary, in coordination with the Users Board, shall—

(A) submit to Congress and make publicly available a strategic review of the 20-year program in effect under this subsection, which shall identify and explain any changes to the project-specific recommendations contained in the previous 20-year program (including any changes to the prioritization criteria used to develop the updated recommendations); and

(B) make revisions to the program, as appropriate.

(e) Project management plans

(f) Administration

(1) In general

(2) Members not considered special Government employees

(3) Travel expenses

(Pub. L. 99–662, title III, § 302, Nov. 17, 1986, 100 Stat. 4111; Pub. L. 106–109, § 8(a), Nov. 24, 1999, 113 Stat. 1495; Pub. L. 113–121, title II, § 2002(d), June 10, 2014, 128 Stat. 1262; Pub. L. 117–286, § 4(a)(202), Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4328.)