[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 755 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 755
To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to
provide additional assistance for public water systems damaged by
Winter Storms Uri and Viola, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 16, 2021
Mrs. Hyde-Smith introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to
provide additional assistance for public water systems damaged by
Winter Storms Uri and Viola, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Emergency Water Infrastructure
Improvements Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL INFRASTRUCTURE AUTHORITY.
Section 219(f)(167) of the Water Resources Development Act of 1992
(Public Law 102-580; 106 Stat. 4835; 113 Stat. 335; 121 Stat. 1263) is
amended by striking ``$25,000,000'' and inserting ``$47,000,000''.
SEC. 3. SAFE DRINKING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
(2) Eligible state.--The term ``eligible State'' means a
State--
(A) for which the President has declared not fewer
than 5 major disasters under the Robert T. Stafford
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C.
5121 et seq.); and
(B) in which public water systems suffered major
damage, as determined by the Administrator, from Winter
Storms Uri and Viola.
(3) Eligible system.--The term ``eligible system'' means a
public water system that has been subject to an emergency
administrative order pursuant to section 1431 of the Safe
Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300i) during calendar year 2020.
(4) Public water system.--The term ``public water system''
has the meaning given the term in section 1401 of the Safe
Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f).
(b) State Revolving Loan Fund Assistance.--
(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, an eligible system shall be--
(A) considered a disadvantaged community for
purposes of subsection (d) of section 1452 of the Safe
Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-12); and
(B) eligible to receive the additional
subsidization described in paragraph (1) of that
subsection, including the forgiveness of principal
described in that paragraph.
(2) Authorization.--An eligible State may use funds made
available under a capitalization grant provided under
subsection (c) to provide the additional subsidization
described in paragraph (1)(B) to an eligible system within the
eligible State to address contaminants in drinking water, which
may include the repair and replacement of water distribution
system components.
(c) Drinking Water State Revolving Funds.--
(1) Appropriation.--There is appropriated to the
Administrator, out of any funds of the Treasury not otherwise
appropriated, $150,000,000 to provide additional capitalization
grants to eligible States pursuant to section 1452 of the Safe
Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-12) for the purposes
described in subsection (b)(2), to remain available until
expended.
(2) Intended use plans.--Not later than 30 days after the
date on which an eligible State submits to the Administrator a
revised intended use plan under section 1452(b) of the Safe
Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-12(b)) that includes
information with respect to projects described in subsection
(b)(2) to be funded using amounts made available in a
capitalization grant pursuant to paragraph (1), the
Administrator shall make a capitalization grant to the eligible
State in such amount as is necessary to fund the projects
described in the revised intended use plan.
(3) Requirement.--Of the funds provided to an eligible
State in a capitalization grant made pursuant to paragraph (1),
the eligible State may use not more than 15 percent to provide
assistance to an eligible system for the purposes of purchasing
and installing new water meters and modernizing billing
systems.
(d) Nonduplication of Work.--An activity carried out using funds
made available under this section shall not duplicate or impede the
work of any other Federal or State department or agency.
SEC. 4. ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE GRANTS FOR DRINKING WATER
INFRASTRUCTURE.
Of the amounts made available under the heading ``economic
development assistance programs'' under the heading ``Economic
Development Administration'' under title II of division B of the CARES
Act (Public Law 116-136; 134 Stat. 510), or for grants for economic
development assistance under the heading ``economic development
assistance programs'' under the heading ``Economic Development
Administration'' under title I of division B of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260), that are unobligated on
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall
provide not less than $25,000,000 to eligible systems (as defined in
section 3(a)) to address contaminants in drinking water.
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