Summary#
This bill would provide large, annual federal funding and program changes to help water and sewer systems. It directs specific amounts to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Agriculture, and the Indian Health Service for grants, capitalization of state revolving funds, technical assistance, and rural and tribal water projects. The bill requires a federal study and report on water affordability, discrimination, public participation in regionalization, and data collection. It also changes how State Revolving Funds (SRFs) may be used, adds rules for buying privately owned treatment works, expands eligible recipients for drinking water assistance, and adds grant programs for lead service line replacement, school drinking water infrastructure, and household responses to certain contamination. The bill includes labor provisions that preserve prevailing wage rules and encourage project labor agreements. It makes several funds available to the agencies without further annual appropriation.
What it means for you#
- More federal money would flow each year to clean water and drinking water programs, rural water services, and Indian Health Service sanitation projects.
- Local water systems could get more grants and loan subsidies for upgrades, replacing lead service lines, and addressing certain contamination.
- States would have new rules for using revolving funds, including a requirement to use at least 50% of some funds as additional subsidization when enough applications exist.
- The EPA must study water rates, disconnections, civil rights issues, and public participation and report to Congress within one year of enactment.
- Households facing water service disconnection would be covered by guidance to provide protections; households with PFAS contamination in wells could be eligible for grant aid for filtration systems.
- School systems could receive grants to make drinking water fountains and related infrastructure lead free and to monitor lead levels.
- Project labor agreements would be permitted and encouraged for construction projects paid with these funds; prevailing wage rules stay in place.
Expenses#
The bill specifies annual obligation amounts and Treasury transfers. Key amounts in the bill text (per fiscal year):
- Clean Water programs: obligations listed up to $175,000,000; $525,000,000; $875,000,000; $875,000,000; and $14,787,000,000 for various grant programs. It directs a Treasury transfer of $17,237,000,000 to the EPA to carry out these clean water provisions.
- Safe Drinking Water programs: obligations listed up to $175,000,000; $14,787,000,000; $175,000,000; and $1,050,000,000 for various drinking water grants. It directs a Treasury transfer of $16,187,000,000 to the EPA to carry out these drinking water provisions.
- Rural Water Services (USDA): obligations up to $175,000,000 and $350,000,000 for specific rural programs, with a Treasury transfer of $525,000,000.
- Indian Health Service sanitation: an obligation of up to $1,050,000,000 and a Treasury transfer of $1,050,000,000 for Indian Health Service-funded water, sewer, and solid waste projects.
The bill states amounts transferred remain available until expended and do not require further annual appropriation.
Proponents' View#
No publicly available information.
Opponents' View#
No publicly available information.