§ 579f — Budgetary Evaluation Metrics And Transparency; Public Participation

(a) (b) Beginning in fiscal year 2020, in the formulation of the annual budget request for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Civil Works) pursuant to section 1105(a) of title 31, the President shall ensure that such budget request— (1) aligns the assessment of the potential benefit-cost ratio for budgeting water resources development projects with that used by the Corps of Engineers during project plan formulation and evaluation pursuant to section 1962d–17 of title 42; and (2) demonstrates the transparent criteria and metrics utilized by the President in the evaluation and selection of water resources development projects included in such budget request. (c) In the development of, or any proposed major substantive modification to, a proposed budget for water resources development projects, the Secretary, through each District shall, not less frequently than annually— (1) provide to non-Federal interests and other interested stakeholders information on the proposed budget for projects or substantive modifications to project budgets within each District’s jurisdiction; (2) hold multiple public meetings to discuss the budget for projects within each District’s jurisdiction; and (3) provide to non-Federal interests the opportunity to collaborate with District personnel for projects within each District’s jurisdiction— (A) to support information sharing; and (B) to the maximum extent practicable, to share in concept development and decisionmaking to achieve complementary or integrated solutions to problems.