S-2717 : Still Just a Bill

Dam Repairs and Improvements for Tribes Act of 2016 or the DRIFT Act of 2016

This bill requires the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to establish a program to address the deferred maintenance needs of certain Indian dams that create risks to safety, natural resources, or cultural resources and impede the management and efficiency of Indian dams. The High-Hazard Indian Dam Safety Deferred Maintenance Fund and the Low-Hazard Indian Dam Safety Deferred Maintenance Fund are established to pay for the maintenance, repair, and replacement of such dams. The funds are terminated at the end of FY2037.

The BIA must:

• develop programmatic goals and prioritization criteria before expending funds;
• prioritize dams that serve more than one tribe or highly populated Indian communities;
• consult with landowners served by a dam before expending funds, except in emergencies;
• ensure that, each year, every dam in need of critical maintenance receives funding;
• request that tribes report on dams on their land;
• report on each dam under BIA jurisdiction; and
• establish a flood plain management pilot program to provide guidance to tribes on best practices for the mitigation and prevention of floods.

The Department of the Interior must establish a Tribal Safety of Dams Committee.

The bill amends the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 to revise the tribal partnership program, including to permit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide assistance for any activity relating to the feasibility, planning, design, or construction of a water resources development project.

The bill amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 to extend to tribes the waiver of cost-sharing requirements for studies and projects.