RURAL WESTERN WATER.

SEC. 1186. RURAL WESTERN WATER. Section 595 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1999 (Public Law 106-53; 113 Stat. 383; 128 Stat. 1316) is amended— (1) by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection (i); (2) by inserting after subsection (g) the following: “(h) Eligibility.— “(1) In general.—Assistance under this section shall be made available to all eligible States and locales described in subsection (b) consistent with program priorities determined by the Secretary in accordance with criteria developed by the Secretary to establish the program priorities. “(2) Selection of projects.—In selecting projects for assistance under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to a project located in an eligible State or local entity for which the project sponsor is prepared to— “(A) execute a new or amended project cooperation agreement; and “(B) commence promptly after the date of enactment of the Water Resources Development Act of 2016. “(3) Rural projects.—The Secretary shall consider a project authorized under this section and an environmental infrastructure project authorized under section 219 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-580; 106 Stat. 4835) for new starts on the same basis as any other similarly funded project.” ; and (3) in subsection (i) (as redesignated by paragraph (1)) by striking “which shall—” and all that follows through “remain” and inserting “to remain”.