§ 2341a. Prioritization

• (a)
  • (1) For authorized projects and ongoing feasibility studies with a primary purpose of hurricane and storm damage risk reduction, the Secretary shall give funding priority to projects and ongoing studies that—
    • (A) address an imminent threat to life and property;
    • (B) prevent storm surge from inundating populated areas;
    • (C) restore or prevent the loss of coastal wetlands that help reduce the impact of storm surge;
    • (D) protect emergency hurricane evacuation routes or shelters;
    • (E) prevent adverse impacts to publicly owned or funded infrastructure and assets;
    • (F) minimize disaster relief costs to the Federal Government; and
    • (G) address hurricane and storm damage risk reduction in an area for which the President declared a major disaster in accordance with section 5170 of title 42 .
  • (2) Not later than 180 days after December 16, 2016 , the Secretary shall—
    • (A) submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a list of all—
      • (i) ongoing hurricane and storm damage reduction feasibility studies that have signed feasibility cost-share agreements and have received Federal funds since 2009; and
      • (ii) authorized hurricane and storm damage reduction projects;
    • (B) identify those projects on the list required under subparagraph (A) that meet the criteria described in paragraph (1); and
    • (C) provide a plan for expeditiously completing the projects identified under subparagraph (B), subject to available funding.
• (b)
  • (1) For authorized projects with a primary purpose of ecosystem restoration, the Secretary shall give funding priority to projects—
    • (A) that—
      • (i) address an identified threat to public health, safety, or welfare;
      • (ii) preserve or restore ecosystems of national significance; or
      • (iii) preserve or restore habitats of importance for federally protected species, including migratory birds; and
    • (B) for which the restoration activities will contribute to other ongoing or planned Federal, State, or local restoration initiatives.
  • (2) Not later than 180 days after December 16, 2016 , the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report that contains—
    • (A) a list of all programmatic authorities for aquatic ecosystem restoration or improvement of the environment that—
      • (i) were authorized or modified in the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 ( Public Law 110–114 ; 121 Stat. 1041 ) or any subsequent Act; and
      • (ii) that meet the criteria described in paragraph (1); and
    • (B) a plan for expeditiously completing the projects under the authorities described in subparagraph (A), subject to available funding.