117 HR 8032 IH: Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program Establishment Act
U.S. House of Representatives
2024-04-16
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I
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8032
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 16, 2024
Mr. Sorensen (for himself, Mrs. Chavez-DeRemer, Ms. Schrier, and Mrs. González-Colón) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To authorize the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program, and for other purposes.
1.

Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program Establishment Act”.
2.

Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program
(a)

Definitions
In this section:
(1)

Administrator
The term Administrator means the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
(2)

Eligible entity
The term eligible entity means a State, or Indian tribe, that is eligible to receive or previously received a grant under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 8621 et seq.).
(3)

Household
The term household means any individual or group of individuals who are living together as 1 economic unit.
(4)

Low-income household
The term low-income household means a household—
(A)
in which 1 or more individuals are receiving—
(i)
assistance under the State program funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
(ii)
supplemental security income payments under title XVI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.);
(iii)
supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.);
(iv)
payments under—
(I)
section 1315, 1521, 1541, or 1542 of title 38, United States Code; or
(II)
section 306 of the Veterans’ and Survivors’ Pension Improvement Act of 1978 (38 U.S.C. 1521 note; Public Law 95–588); or
(v)
assistance under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981; or
(B)
that has an income that, as determined by the State or Indian tribe, does not exceed the greatest of—
(i)
an amount equal to 150 percent of the poverty level;
(ii)
an amount equal to 60 percent of the State median income for that State or the State in which the Indian tribe is primarily located; and
(iii)
an amount equal to 60 percent of the area median income for the area in which the household is located.
(5)

Poverty level
The term poverty level means the poverty line determined pursuant to section 673 of the Community Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902).
(6)

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).
(7)

Qualified nonprofit organization
The term qualified nonprofit organization includes a nonprofit organization described in section 680(a)(3)(B) of the Community Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9921(a)(3)(B)).
(8)

Secretary
The term Secretary means the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
(9)

State
The term State means any of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
(10)

Treatment works
The term treatment works has the meaning given the term in section 212 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1292).
(b)

Establishment
(1)

In general
The Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator, shall establish the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program to award grants, in accordance with paragraph (2), to eligible entities to provide funds to owners and operators of public water systems or treatment works to assist low-income households in paying arrearages and other rates charged to such households for drinking water or wastewater services.
(2)

Formula
In awarding grants under this subsection to eligible entities, the Secretary shall—
(A)
allot amounts made available for grants under this subsection to an eligible entity that is a State or Indian tribe based on—
(i)
the percentage of households in the State, or under the jurisdiction of the Indian tribe, with income equal to or less than 150 percent of the poverty level; or
(ii)
the percentage of households in the State, or under the jurisdiction of the Indian tribe, that spend more than 30 percent of monthly income on housing; and
(B)
reserve up to 3 percent of amounts made available for grants under this subsection to eligible entities that are Indian tribes.
(c)

Rural, underserved, and Indian tribe access grants
The Secretary shall provide grants to qualified nonprofit organizations to assist owners or operators of public water systems or treatment works, in rural or underserved areas or in the jurisdiction of an Indian tribe, in accessing funds through the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program.
(d)

Applications
Each eligible entity seeking a grant under subsection (b), and each qualified nonprofit organization seeking a grant under subsection (c), shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary shall require.
(e)

Limitations
A recipient of a grant under subsection (b) or (c)—
(1)
shall not use the funds from the grant to supplant any other funds for any program that assists low-income households in maintaining access to affordable drinking water or wastewater services; and
(2)
may use the funds from the grant to supplement or otherwise enhance any such program that satisfies the requirements under this section.
(f)

Technical assistance for eligibility requirements
The Secretary shall provide technical assistance to eligible entities receiving a grant under subsection (b) for such eligible entities to establish data sharing agreements to streamline categorical eligibility requirements for low-income households.
(g)

Transfer to the Environmental Protection Agency
(1)

In general
On the date on which the final report described in section 50109(d) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–19a note; Public Law 117–58; 135 Stat. 1148) is submitted to Congress under such section, the Secretary, in coordination with the Administrator, shall transfer the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program established under this section to the Environmental Protection Agency for administration of such program by the Administrator in accordance with this section.
(2)

Administration
(A)

In general
Beginning on the date described in paragraph (1)—
(i)
the Administrator shall carry out all functions of the Secretary under this section; and
(ii)
for purposes of administering the program established under this section, each reference in subsection (b)(2), (c), (d), and (f) to the Secretary shall be deemed a reference to the Administrator.
(B)

Grants previously awarded
Notwithstanding paragraph (1) and subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall continue, after the transfer under paragraph (1), administering each grant awarded under this section prior to such transfer until the expiration of the term of such grant.
(3)

Unobligated balances
On the date described in paragraph (1) and subject to section 1531 of title 31, United States Code, the Secretary shall transfer all unobligated balances of appropriations, authorizations, allocations, or other funds available to the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program established under this section (except for any such balances related to grants awarded prior to the transfer under paragraph (1)) to the Administrator. The amounts of any such unobligated balances so transferred shall be used only for the purposes for which the amounts were originally authorized and appropriated.
(h)

Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $1,100,000,000.