HR 1593 — Land and Water Conservation Fund Water Amendments Act of 2023

(a) Authority of Secretary To Make Payments.— The Secretary may provide financial assistance to the States from amounts available for State purposes. Payments may be made to the States by the Secretary as provided in this section, subject to such terms and conditions as the Secretary considers appropriate and in the public interest to carry out the purposes of this chapter, for outdoor recreation: (1) Planning. (2) Acquisition of land, water, or interests in land or water. (3) Development. (b) Apportionment Among States.— Amounts appropriated and available for State purposes for each fiscal year shall be apportioned among the States by the Secretary, whose determination shall be final, in accordance with the following formula: (1) Forty percent of the 1st $225,000,000; 30 percent of the next $275,000,000; and 20 percent of all additional appropriations shall be apportioned equally among the States. (2) At any time, the remaining appropriation shall be apportioned on the basis of need to individual States by the Secretary in such amounts as in the Secretary’s judgment will best accomplish the purposes of this chapter. The determination of need shall include consideration of— (A) the proportion that the population of each State bears to the total population of the United States; (B) the use of outdoor recreation resources of each State by persons from outside the State; and (C) the Federal resources and programs in each State. (3) The total allocation to a State under paragraphs (1) and (2) shall not exceed 10 percent of the total amount allocated to all of the States in any one year. (4) The Secretary shall notify each State of its apportionments. The amounts shall be available for payment to the State for planning, acquisition, or development projects as prescribed. Any amount of any apportionment that has not been paid or obligated by the Secretary during the fiscal year in which the notification is given and for 2 fiscal years thereafter shall be reapportioned by the Secretary in accordance with paragraph (2) without regard to the 10 percent limitation to an individual State specified in this subsection. (c) Matching Requirements.— Payments to any State shall cover not more than 50 percent of the cost of planning, acquisition, or development projects that are undertaken by the State. The remaining share of the cost shall be borne by the State in a manner and with funds or services as shall be satisfactory to the Secretary. (d) Comprehensive State Plan.— (1) Required for consideration of financial assistance.— A comprehensive statewide outdoor recreation plan shall be required prior to the consideration by the Secretary of financial assistance for acquisition or development projects. The plan shall be adequate if, in the judgment of the Secretary, it encompasses and will promote the purposes of this chapter. No plan shall be approved unless the chief executive official of the State certifies that ample opportunity for public participation in plan development and revision has been accorded. The Secretary shall develop, in consultation with others, criteria for public participation, which criteria shall constitute the basis for the certification by the chief executive official. The plan shall contain— (A) the name of the State agency that will have authority to represent and act for the State in dealing with the Secretary for purposes of this chapter; (B) an evaluation of the demand for and supply of outdoor recreation resources and facilities in the State; (C) a program for the implementation of the plan; and (D) other necessary information, as determined by the Secretary. (2) Factors to be considered.— The plan shall take into account relevant Federal resources and programs and shall be correlated so far as practicable with other State, regional, and local plans. Where there exists or is in preparation for any particular State a comprehensive plan financed in part with funds supplied by the Secretary of Housing and Urban D...