Lewis & Clark Regional Water System Expansion Feasibility Study Act

This legislation directs the Secretary of the Interior to undertake a comprehensive feasibility study for the expansion of the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System. The primary goal is to determine the viability of a proposed project aimed at enhancing the supply of municipal, rural, and industrial water across parts of Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota. The study, conducted in coordination with the Lewis & Clark Rural Water System, Inc., will culminate in a detailed feasibility report . This report must include the Secretary's recommendation on whether the proposed project should be authorized for construction and specify the appropriate non-Federal share of construction costs, which must be at least 25 percent. Furthermore, the bill mandates consultation with various Federal, State, Tribal, regional, and local authorities throughout the study process. A cost-sharing agreement for the feasibility study itself is required, with the Federal share capped at 50 percent of the total costs. The Act authorizes an appropriation of $10,000,000 for these study efforts, with the authority to conduct the study expiring ten years after the bill's enactment.