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<br />OOli888 <br /> <br />(17) A new subsection (b) in Section 301 empowers the Council <br />to prescribe rules and establish procedures to assure <br />coordination with other Federal planning programs and <br />utilization of programs of other Federa I agencies. <br /> <br />(18) Senator Allott succeeded in having the Bill amended by <br />the Senate to reduce the Federal share of the cost of <br />a river basin program for Puerto Rico and the Virgin <br />Islands from 66-2/3 % in S. 2246 to 50 %. <br /> <br />(19) <br /> <br />By another amendment offered by Senator Allott, the <br />Senate changed Section 401 so that the authorization <br />for appropriations to carry out the provis ions of <br />title I (Council functions), title II (Commission functions) <br />and the administration of title III (grants to States) <br />sha II not exceed $7 1/2 million for the first three years <br />following enactment of the Water Resources Planning <br />Act. <br /> <br />O' <br />r <br />r <br />~ <br /> <br />(20) <br /> <br />Under a new Section 405 added at the end of S. 1111, <br />the Civil Service Commission would be authorized to <br />contract with any river basin commission for coverage <br />of the commis sion' s employees in the employee benefit <br />program s of the Federa I Government. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />As previously mentioned, the above enumerated differences between <br />S. 2246 and S. 1111 are the major changes that have been made. There are <br />other minor changes, of course, having to do with the submission of reports <br />and mechanics of operation of the Commissions under the terms of the Act, <br />but the more important ones to which objections had been raised in the past <br />are mentioned above. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />It seems apparent that a great deal of the basis of the argument <br />concerning Federal domination of the river basin planning commissions has <br />been eliminated from S. 1111. Certainly, S. 1111 can be construed as a <br />Bill that provides for Federal-State cooperation in planning to a much greater <br />degree than any formerly proposed legislation, <br /> <br />~ <br />~ <br /> <br />f <br /> <br />I believe that it is worthy of note that almost all of the interested <br />parties with whom I have met during the past two years and who have con- <br />tributed much effort towards modifying the language of S. 1111 to make it <br />acceptable to the States are agreed that S. 1111, as amended, does not <br />affect the issue of Federal vs. State rights, r~sponsibilities, or prerogatives <br />with regards to water. In its amended form S. 1111 is intended to permit <br />comprehensive river basin planning without affecting the States water rights <br />Issue. According to the Senate Committee Report on S. 1111, officials of <br />33 States now support the Bill. six others give it qualified endorsements. <br />three oppose it, and eight States did not comment. <br /> <br />- 7 :.. <br />