Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Act

Summary: Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Act This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to direct the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a grant program to remove lead service lines from public water systems. Grant recipients may use grant funds to assist low-income homeowners with replacing privately owned lead service lines.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Reducing Lead in Drinking Water 
Act''.

SEC. 2. REDUCING LEAD IN DRINKING WATER.

    (a) Definition of Lead Service Line.--Section 1401 of the Safe 
Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph:
            ``(17) Lead service line.--The term `lead service line' 
        means a service line that is not lead free (within the meaning 
        of section 1417).''.
    (b) Replacing Lead Service Lines.--Section 1417 of the Safe 
Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300g-6) is amended by adding at the end 
the following:
    ``(f) Replacing Lead Service Lines.--
            ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    ``(A) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' 
                means--
                            ``(i) an owner or operator of a public 
                        water system;
                            ``(ii) a qualified nonprofit organization, 
                        as determined by the Administrator; or
                            ``(iii) a municipality or a State, 
                        interstate, or intermunicipal agency.
                    ``(B) Lead pipe replacement program.--The term 
                `lead pipe replacement program' means a project or 
                activity the primary purpose of which is to eliminate 
                lead in water for human consumption by--
                            ``(i) replacing lead service lines;
                            ``(ii) testing, planning, or carrying out 
                        other relevant activities, as determined by the 
                        Administrator, to identify the location and 
                        condition of lead service lines; or
                            ``(iii) providing assistance to low-income 
                        homeowners to replace privately owned lead 
                        service lines.
                    ``(C) Low-income homeowner.--The term `low-income 
                homeowner' has such meaning as may be given the term by 
                the Governor of the applicable State.
            ``(2) Grant program.--
                    ``(A) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after 
                the date of enactment of this subsection, the 
                Administrator shall establish a grant program to 
                provide assistance to eligible entities for lead pipe 
                replacement programs.
                    ``(B) Evaluation.--In determining whether to 
                provide assistance to an eligible entity under this 
                subsection, the Administrator shall evaluate whether 
                the eligible entity has--
                            ``(i) a current inventory of lead service 
                        lines in the applicable public water system;
                            ``(ii) a plan to notify customers of such 
                        public water system of the replacement of any 
                        publicly owned portion of a lead service line;
                            ``(iii) a plan to replace the privately 
                        owned portion of a lead service line at the 
                        cost of replacement;
                            ``(iv) a plan for a program of assistance 
                        to low-income homeowners to replace the 
                        privately owned portion of lead service lines; 
                        or
                            ``(v) a plan of recommended measures to 
                        avoid exposure of the public to short-term 
                        increases in lead levels following a lead 
                        service line replacement.
                    ``(C) Priority application.--In providing 
                assistance under this subsection, the Administrator 
                shall give priority to an eligible entity that--
                            ``(i) will carry out a lead pipe 
                        replacement program at a public water system 
                        that has exceeded the lead action level 
                        established by the Administrator at any time 
                        during the 3-year period preceding the date of 
                        submission of the application of the eligible 
                        entity;
                            ``(ii) will address lead levels in water 
                        for human consumption at a school, daycare, or 
                        other facility that primarily serves children 
                        or subpopulations at greater risk as identified 
                        under section 1458(a);
                            ``(iii) will include in the lead pipe 
                        replacement program a program to provide 
                        assistance to low-income homeowners; or
                            ``(iv) addresses such priority criteria as 
                        the Administrator may establish, consistent 
                        with the goal of reducing lead in water for 
                        human consumption.
                    ``(D) Cost sharing.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Subject to clause (ii), 
                        the non-Federal share of the total cost of a 
                        program funded by a grant provided under this 
                        subsection shall be not less than 20 percent.
                            ``(ii) Waiver.--The Administrator may 
                        reduce or eliminate the non-Federal share 
                        required under clause (i) for reasons of 
                        affordability, as the Administrator determines 
                        to be appropriate.
                    ``(E) Low-income homeowner assistance.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Subject to clause (ii), 
                        an eligible entity may use a grant provided 
                        under this subsection to provide assistance to 
                        low-income homeowners to replace privately 
                        owned lead service lines.
                            ``(ii) Limitation.--The amount of 
                        assistance provided to an individual low-income 
                        homeowner under this subparagraph shall not 
                        exceed $10,000.
            ``(3) Guidance.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        enactment of this subsection, the Administrator shall, in 
        cooperation with States and qualified nonprofit organizations, 
        develop guidance for owners and operators of public water 
        systems to assist such owners and operators in the preparation 
        of an inventory of lead service lines in their public water 
        system.
            ``(4) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection 
        $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021.''.