I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 10440 

To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to provide assistance for States, 

territories, areas affected by natural disasters, and water systems and 

schools affected by PFAS or lead, and to require the Environmental 

Protection Agency to promulgate national primary drinking water regulations for PFAS, microcystin toxin, and 1,4-dioxane, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 16, 2024 

Mr. TONKO (for himself and Mr. PALLONE) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in 

addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Transportation and 

Infrastructure, 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 amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to provide assistance 

for States, territories, areas affected by natural disasters, 

and water systems and schools affected by PFAS or 

lead, and to require the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate national primary drinking water regulations for PFAS, microcystin toxin, and 1,4-dioxane, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
2 

•HR 10440 IH

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

2 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

3 ‘‘Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act of 2024’’. 

4 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

5 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

TITLE I—INFRASTRUCTURE 

Sec. 101. Drinking water system resilience funding. 

Sec. 102. Grants for State programs. 

Sec. 103. Assistance for disadvantaged communities. 

Sec. 104. Allotments for territories. 

Sec. 105. Drinking water SRF funding. 

Sec. 106. Lead service line replacement. 

Sec. 107. Drinking water assistance to colonias. 

Sec. 108. PFAS treatment grants. 

Sec. 109. Grant program for installation of filtration stations at schools and 

child care programs. 

Sec. 110. Indian reservation drinking water program. 

Sec. 111. Assistance for areas affected by natural disasters. 

TITLE II—SAFETY 

Sec. 201. Enabling EPA to set health protective standards for new drinking 

water contaminants. 

Sec. 202. Citizens’ petitions for new or revised national primary drinking water 

regulations. 

Sec. 203. National primary drinking water regulations for PFAS. 

Sec. 204. National primary drinking water regulations for microcystin toxin. 

Sec. 205. National primary drinking water regulations for 1,4-dioxane. 

Sec. 206. National primary drinking water regulations for chromium-6. 

Sec. 207. Elimination of small system variances. 

TITLE III—AFFORDABILITY 

Sec. 301. Water affordability program. 

6 TITLE I—INFRASTRUCTURE 

7 SEC. 101. DRINKING WATER SYSTEM RESILIENCE FUNDING. 

8 Section 1433(g) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 

9 U.S.C. 300i–2(g)) is amended— 

10 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and 2021’’ 

11 and inserting ‘‘through 2034’’; and 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
3 

•HR 10440 IH

1 (2) in paragraph (6)— 

2 (A) by striking ‘‘25,000,000’’ and inserting 

3 ‘‘50,000,000’’; and 

4 (B) by striking ‘‘2020 and 2021’’ and in5 serting ‘‘2025 through 2034’’. 

6 SEC. 102. GRANTS FOR STATE PROGRAMS. 

7 Section 1443(a)(7) of the Safe Drinking Water Act 

8 (42 U.S.C. 300j–2(a)(7)) is amended— 

9 (1) by striking ‘‘125,000,000’’ and inserting 

10 ‘‘200,000,000’’; and 

11 (2) by striking ‘‘2020 and 2021’’ and inserting 

12 ‘‘2025 through 2034’’. 

13 SEC. 103. ASSISTANCE FOR DISADVANTAGED COMMU14 NITIES. 

15 Section 1452(d)(2)(A) of the Safe Drinking Water 

16 Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–12(d)(2)(A)) is amended by striking 

17 ‘‘35 percent’’ and inserting ‘‘40 percent’’. 

18 SEC. 104. ALLOTMENTS FOR TERRITORIES. 

19 Section 1452(j) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 

20 U.S.C. 300j–12(j)) is amended by striking ‘‘0.33 percent’’ 

21 and inserting ‘‘1.5 percent’’. 

22 SEC. 105. DRINKING WATER SRF FUNDING. 

23 Section 1452(m)(1) of the Safe Drinking Water Act 

24 (42 U.S.C. 300j–12(m)(1)) is amended— 

25 (1) by striking subparagraphs (A) through (E); 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
4 

•HR 10440 IH

1 (2) by striking subparagraph (G); 

2 (3) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as sub3 paragraph (A); 

4 (4) in subparagraph (A) (as so redesignated), 

5 by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting a semicolon; and 

6 (5) by adding at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘(B) $3,250,000,000 for fiscal year 2025; 

8 ‘‘(C) $3,750,000,000 for fiscal year 2026; 

9 ‘‘(D) $4,140,000,000 for fiscal year 2027; 

10 ‘‘(E) $4,800,000,000 for fiscal year 2028; 

11 and 

12 ‘‘(F) $5,500,000,000 for each of fiscal 

13 years 2029 through 2034.’’. 

14 SEC. 106. LEAD SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENT. 

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1452 of the Safe Drink16 ing Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–12) is amended by adding 

17 at the end the following: 

18 ‘‘(u) LEAD SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENT.— 

19 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In addition to the capital20 ization grants to eligible States under subsection 

21 (a)(1), the Administrator shall offer to enter into 

22 agreements with States, Indian Tribes, and the ter23 ritories described in subsection (j) to make grants, 

24 including letters of credit, to such States, Indian 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
5 

•HR 10440 IH

1 Tribes, and territories under this subsection to fund 

2 the replacement of lead service lines. 

3 ‘‘(2) ALLOTMENTS.— 

4 ‘‘(A) STATES.— 

5 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Funds made avail6 able to carry out this subsection shall be— 

7 ‘‘(I) subject to clause (ii), allotted 

8 and reallotted to the extent prac9 ticable to States as if allotted or real10 lotted under subsection (a)(1) as a 

11 capitalization grant under such sub12 section; and 

13 ‘‘(II) deposited into the State 

14 loan fund of a State receiving such 

15 funds pursuant to an agreement en16 tered into pursuant to this subsection. 

17 ‘‘(ii) STATE LEAD SERVICE LINE RE18 PLACEMENT NEEDS.—For purposes of ap19 plying the formula described in subsection 

20 (a)(1)(D) under clause (i) of this subpara21 graph, the State needs identified in the 

22 most recent survey conducted pursuant to 

23 subsection (h) shall only include the State 

24 needs identified for lead service line re25 placement in such survey. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
6 

•HR 10440 IH

1 ‘‘(B) INDIAN TRIBES.—The Administrator 

shall set aside 11 2 ⁄2 percent of the amounts 

3 made available each fiscal year to carry out this 

4 subsection to make grants to Indian Tribes. 

5 ‘‘(C) OTHER AREAS.—Funds made avail6 able to carry out this subsection shall be allot7 ted to territories described in subsection (j) in 

8 accordance with such subsection. 

9 ‘‘(3) GRANTS.—Notwithstanding any other pro10 vision of this section, funds made available under 

11 this subsection shall be used only for providing 

12 grants for the full replacement of lead service lines. 

13 ‘‘(4) PRIORITY.—Each State, Indian Tribe, and 

14 territory that has entered into an agreement pursu15 ant to this subsection shall annually prepare a plan 

16 that identifies the intended uses of the amounts 

17 made available to such State, Indian Tribe, or terri18 tory under this subsection, and any such plan 

19 shall— 

20 ‘‘(A) not be required to comply with sub21 section (b)(3); and 

22 ‘‘(B) provide, to the maximum extent prac23 ticable, that priority for the use of funds be 

24 given to projects that replace lead service lines 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
7 

•HR 10440 IH

1 serving disadvantaged communities and envi2 ronmental justice communities. 

3 ‘‘(5) PLAN FOR REPLACEMENT.—Each State, 

4 Indian Tribe, and territory that has entered into an 

5 agreement pursuant to this subsection shall require 

6 each recipient of funds made available pursuant to 

7 this subsection to submit to the State, Indian Tribe, 

8 or territory a plan to fully replace all lead service 

9 lines in the applicable public water system within 10 

10 years of receiving such funds, or sooner if required 

11 by law. 

12 ‘‘(6) AMERICAN MADE IRON AND STEEL AND

13 PREVAILING WAGES.—The requirements of para14 graphs (4) and (5) of subsection (a) shall apply to 

15 any project carried out in whole or in part with 

16 funds made available under or pursuant to this sub17 section. 

18 ‘‘(7) LIMITATION.— 

19 ‘‘(A) PROHIBITION ON PARTIAL LINE RE20 PLACEMENT.—No funds made available pursu21 ant to this subsection may be used for partial 

22 lead service line replacement if, at the conclu23 sion of the service line replacement, drinking 

24 water is delivered through a publicly or pri25 vately owned portion of a lead service line. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
8 

•HR 10440 IH

1 ‘‘(B) NO PRIVATE OWNER CONTRIBU2 TION.—In carrying out lead service line replace3 ment using a grant under this subsection, a re4 cipient of funds made available pursuant to this 

5 subsection shall offer to replace any privately 

6 owned portion of any lead service line at no cost 

7 to the private owner. 

8 ‘‘(8) DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY ASSIST9 ANCE.—All funds made available pursuant to this 

10 subsection to fund the replacement of lead service 

11 lines may be used to replace lead service lines serv12 ing disadvantaged communities. 

13 ‘‘(9) STATE CONTRIBUTION NOT REQUIRED.— 

14 No agreement entered into pursuant to paragraph 

15 (1) shall require that a State deposit, at any time, 

16 in the applicable State loan fund from State moneys 

17 any contribution in order to receive funds under this 

18 subsection. 

19 ‘‘(10) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

20 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized 

21 to be appropriated to carry out this subsection 

22 $3,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 

23 through 2036. Such sums shall remain available 

24 until expended. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
9 

•HR 10440 IH

1 ‘‘(B) ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS.—To the ex2 tent amounts authorized to be appropriated 

3 under this subsection in any fiscal year are not 

4 appropriated in that fiscal year, such amounts 

5 are authorized to be appropriated in a subse6 quent fiscal year. Such sums shall remain avail7 able until expended. 

8 ‘‘(11) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this sub9 section: 

10 ‘‘(A) DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY.—The 

11 term ‘disadvantaged community’ has the mean12 ing given such term in subsection (d)(3). 

13 ‘‘(B) ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMU14 NITY.—The term ‘environmental justice com15 munity’ means any population of color, commu16 nity of color, indigenous community, or low-in17 come community that experiences a dispropor18 tionate burden of the negative human health 

19 and environmental impacts of pollution or other 

20 environmental hazards. 

21 ‘‘(C) LEAD SERVICE LINE.—The term 

22 ‘lead service line’ has the meaning given such 

23 term in section 1459B(a)(4).’’. 

24 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 

25 1452(m)(1) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
10 

•HR 10440 IH

1 300j–12(m)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘(a)(2)(G) and 

2 (t)’’ and inserting ‘‘(a)(2)(G), (t), and (u)’’. 

3 SEC. 107. DRINKING WATER ASSISTANCE TO COLONIAS. 

4 Section 1456 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 

5 U.S.C. 300j–16) is amended— 

6 (1) in subsection (a)— 

7 (A) by redesignating paragraph (2) as 

8 paragraph (3); and 

9 (B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the 

10 following new paragraph: 

11 ‘‘(2) COVERED ENTITY.—The term ‘covered en12 tity’ means each of the following: 

13 ‘‘(A) A border State. 

14 ‘‘(B) A local government with jurisdiction 

15 over an eligible community.’’; 

16 (2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘border 

17 State’’ and inserting ‘‘covered entity’’; 

18 (3) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘shall not ex19 ceed 50 percent’’ and inserting ‘‘may not be less 

20 than 80 percent’’; and 

21 (4) in subsection (e)— 

22 (A) by striking ‘‘$25,000,000’’ and insert23 ing ‘‘$100,000,000’’; and 

24 (B) by striking ‘‘1997 through 1999’’ and 

25 inserting ‘‘2025 through 2034’’. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
11 

•HR 10440 IH

1 SEC. 108. PFAS TREATMENT GRANTS. 

2 Part E of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 

3 300j et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the fol4 lowing new section: 

5 ‘‘SEC. 1459H. ASSISTANCE FOR COMMUNITY WATER SYS6 TEMS AFFECTED BY PFAS. 

7 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days 

8 after the date of enactment of this section, the Adminis9 trator shall establish a program to award grants to af10 fected community water systems to pay for capital costs 

11 associated with the implementation of eligible treatment 

12 technologies. 

13 ‘‘(b) APPLICATIONS.— 

14 ‘‘(1) GUIDANCE.—Not later than 12 months 

15 after the date of enactment of this section, the Ad16 ministrator shall publish guidance describing the 

17 form and timing for community water systems to 

18 apply for grants under this section. 

19 ‘‘(2) REQUIRED INFORMATION.—The Adminis20 trator shall require a community water system ap21 plying for a grant under this section to submit— 

22 ‘‘(A) information showing the presence of a 

23 perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance in 

24 water of the community water system; and 

25 ‘‘(B) a certification that the treatment 

26 technology in use by the community water sysVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:32 Jan 22, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H10440.IH H10440

kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
12 

•HR 10440 IH

1 tem at the time of application is not sufficient 

2 to meet all applicable standards, and all appli3 cable health advisories published pursuant to 

4 section 1412(b)(1)(F), for perfluoroalkyl and 

5 polyfluoroalkyl substances. 

6 ‘‘(c) LIST OF ELIGIBLE TREATMENT TECH7 NOLOGIES.—Not later than 150 days after the date of en8 actment of this section, and every 2 years thereafter, the 

9 Administrator shall publish a list of treatment tech10 nologies that the Administrator determines are the most 

11 effective at removing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl 

12 substances from drinking water. 

13 ‘‘(d) PRIORITY FOR FUNDING.—In awarding grants 

14 under this section, the Administrator shall prioritize an 

15 affected community water system that— 

16 ‘‘(1) serves a disadvantaged community; 

17 ‘‘(2) has an exceedance of an applicable max18 imum contaminant level for individual or mixture of 

19 perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances; 

20 ‘‘(3) will provide at least a 10-percent cost 

21 share for the cost of implementing an eligible treat22 ment technology; 

23 ‘‘(4) demonstrates the capacity to maintain the 

24 eligible treatment technology to be implemented 

25 using the grant; or 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
13 

•HR 10440 IH

1 ‘‘(5) is located within an area with respect to 

2 which the Administrator has published a determina3 tion under the first sentence of section 1424(e) re4 lating to an aquifer that is the sole or principal 

5 drinking water source for the area; and 

6 ‘‘(6) has not received monies from a settlement 

7 agreement or consent decree related to contamina8 tion by a perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance 

9 in water in the community water system. 

10 ‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

11 is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

12 $500,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2025 through 

13 2034. 

14 ‘‘(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

15 ‘‘(1) AFFECTED COMMUNITY WATER SYSTEM.— 

16 The term ‘affected community water system’ means 

17 a community water system that is affected by the 

18 presence of a perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl sub19 stance in water in the community water system. 

20 ‘‘(2) DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY.—The term 

21 ‘disadvantaged community’ has the meaning given 

22 that term in section 1452. 

23 ‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE TREATMENT TECHNOLOGY.— 

24 The term ‘eligible treatment technology’ means a 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
14 

•HR 10440 IH

1 treatment technology included on the list published 

2 under subsection (c). 

3 ‘‘(4) PERFLUOROALKYL OR POLYFLUOROALKYL

4 SUBSTANCE.—The term ‘perfluoroalkyl or 

5 polyfluoroalkyl substance’ means any man-made 

6 chemical with at least one fully fluorinated carbon 

7 atom.’’. 

8 SEC. 109. GRANT PROGRAM FOR INSTALLATION OF FILTRA9 TION STATIONS AT SCHOOLS AND CHILD 

10 CARE PROGRAMS. 

11 Section 1464 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 

12 U.S.C. 300j–24) is amended by adding at the end the fol13 lowing: 

14 ‘‘(e) GRANT PROGRAM FOR INSTALLATION AND

15 MAINTENANCE OF FILTRATION STATIONS.— 

16 ‘‘(1) PROGRAM.—The Administrator shall es17 tablish a program to make grants to States to assist 

18 local educational agencies in installation and mainte19 nance of filtration stations at schools and facilities 

20 used by child care programs under the jurisdiction 

21 of the local educational agencies or other State agen22 cies. 

23 ‘‘(2) DIRECT GRANTS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL

24 AGENCIES.—The Administrator may make a grant 

25 described in paragraph (1) directly available to— 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
15 

•HR 10440 IH

1 ‘‘(A) any local educational agency de2 scribed in clause (i) or (iii) of subsection 

3 (d)(1)(B) located in a State that does not par4 ticipate in the program established under para5 graph (1); or 

6 ‘‘(B) any local educational agency de7 scribed in clause (ii) of subsection (d)(1)(B). 

8 ‘‘(3) USE OF FUNDS.—Grants made under the 

9 program established under this subsection may be 

10 used to pay the costs of— 

11 ‘‘(A) installation and maintenance of filtra12 tion stations at schools and facilities used by 

13 child care programs; and 

14 ‘‘(B) annual testing of drinking water at 

15 such schools and facilities used by child care 

16 programs following the installation of filtration 

17 stations. 

18 ‘‘(4) PRIORITY.—In making grants under the 

19 program established under this subsection, the Ad20 ministrator shall give priority to States and local 

21 educational agencies that will assist in installation 

22 and maintenance of filtration stations at schools and 

23 facilities used by child care programs that are in 

24 low-income areas. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
16 

•HR 10440 IH

1 ‘‘(5) REQUIREMENT.—Filtration stations in2 stalled pursuant to the program established under 

3 this section shall include remote performance moni4 toring and automatic shut-off of the filtration sta5 tion in the event the filtration station is not oper6 ating properly. 

7 ‘‘(6) GUIDANCE.—Not later than 180 days 

8 after the date of enactment of this subsection, the 

9 Administrator shall establish guidance to carry out 

10 the program established under this subsection. 

11 ‘‘(7) NO PRIOR TESTING REQUIRED.—The pro12 gram established under this subsection shall not re13 quire testing for lead contamination in drinking 

14 water at schools and facilities used by child care pro15 grams prior to participation in such program. 

16 ‘‘(8) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

17 ‘‘(A) CHILD CARE PROGRAM AND LOCAL

18 EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The terms ‘child care 

19 program’ and ‘local educational agency’ have 

20 the meaning given such terms in subsection (d). 

21 ‘‘(B) FILTRATION STATION.—The term 

22 ‘filtration station’ means an apparatus that— 

23 ‘‘(i) is connected to building plumb24 ing; 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
17 

•HR 10440 IH

1 ‘‘(ii) is certified to the latest version 

2 of NSF/ANSI 53 for lead reduction and 

3 NSF/ANSI 42 for particulate reduction 

4 (Class I) by a certification body accredited 

5 by the American National Standards Insti6 tute National Accreditation Board; 

7 ‘‘(iii) has an indicator to show filter 

8 performance; 

9 ‘‘(iv) can fill bottles or containers for 

10 water consumption; and 

11 ‘‘(v) allows users to drink directly 

12 from a stream of flowing water. 

13 ‘‘(9) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

14 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

15 this subsection $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

16 2025 through 2034.’’. 

17 SEC. 110. INDIAN RESERVATION DRINKING WATER PRO18 GRAM. 

19 Section 2001(g) of America’s Water Infrastructure 

20 Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–270) is amended to read 

21 as follows: 

22 ‘‘(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

23 is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the program 

24 under subsection (a) $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

25 2025 through 2034.’’. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
18 

•HR 10440 IH

1 SEC. 111. ASSISTANCE FOR AREAS AFFECTED BY NATURAL 

2 DISASTERS. 

3 Section 2020 of America’s Water Infrastructure Act 

4 of 2018 (Public Law 115–270) is amended— 

5 (1) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ‘‘subsection 

6 (e)(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (f)(1)’’; 

7 (2) by redesignating subsections (c) through (e) 

8 as subsections (d) through (f), respectively; 

9 (3) by inserting after subsection (b) the fol10 lowing: 

11 ‘‘(c) ASSISTANCE FOR TERRITORIES.—The Adminis12 trator may use funds made available under subsection 

13 (f)(1) to make grants to Guam, the Virgin Islands, Amer14 ican Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands for the 

15 purposes of providing assistance to eligible systems to re16 store or increase compliance with national primary drink17 ing water regulations.’’; and 

18 (4) in subsection (f), as so redesignated— 

19 (A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘STATE

20 REVOLVING FUND CAPITALIZATION’’; and 

21 (B) in paragraph (1)— 

22 (i) in the matter preceding subpara23 graph (A), by inserting ‘‘and to make 

24 grants under subsection (c) of this sec25 tion,’’ before ‘‘to be available’’; and 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
19 

•HR 10440 IH

1 (ii) in subparagraph (A), by inserting 

2 ‘‘or subsection (c), as applicable’’ after 

3 ‘‘subsection (b)(1)’’. 

4 TITLE II—SAFETY 

5 SEC. 201. ENABLING EPA TO SET HEALTH PROTECTIVE 

6 STANDARDS FOR NEW DRINKING WATER 

7 CONTAMINANTS. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1412(b)(6) of the Safe 

9 Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300g–1(b)(6)) is repealed. 

10 (b) THRESHOLD.—Section 1412(b)(1)(A) of the Safe 

11 Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300g–1(b)(1)(A)) is 

12 amended— 

13 (1) by striking clause (iii); 

14 (2) by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) as sub15 clauses (I) and (II), respectively; 

16 (3) by striking ‘‘The Administrator shall’’ and 

17 inserting the following: 

18 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator 

19 shall’’; 

20 (4) in subclause (I), as so redesignated, by 

21 striking ‘‘persons;’’ and inserting ‘‘persons; and’’; 

22 (5) by amending subclause (II), as so redesig23 nated, to read as follows: 

24 ‘‘(II) the contaminant is known 

25 to occur or there is a substantial likeVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:32 Jan 22, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H10440.IH H10440

kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
20 

•HR 10440 IH

1 lihood that the contaminant will occur 

2 at levels of public health concern in 

3 public water systems serving in total 

4 at least an estimated 1,000,000 per5 sons or more across at least 3 

6 States.’’; and 

7 (6) by adding at the end the following: 

8 ‘‘(ii) LEVEL OF PUBLIC HEALTH CON9 CERN.—For purposes of this subpara10 graph, a contaminant shall be considered 

11 to occur at a level of public health concern 

12 if it exceeds a health advisory published 

13 under subparagraph (F) or a toxicity value 

14 established by the Administrator or the 

15 Administrator of the Agency for Toxic 

16 Substances Disease Registry.’’. 

17 (c) HEALTH ADVISORY.—Section 1412(b)(1)(F) of 

18 the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300g– 

19 1(b)(1)(F)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

20 ‘‘A determination under this subsection to publish or es21 tablish a health advisory or toxicity value shall not be con22 sidered a final agency action that is subject to judicial re23 view.’’. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
21 

•HR 10440 IH

1 (d) PROTECTING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.—Sec2 tion 1412(b)(4) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 

3 U.S.C. 300g–1(b)(4)) is amended— 

4 (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (C) through 

5 (E) as subparagraphs (D) through (F), respectively; 

6 and 

7 (2) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the fol8 lowing: 

9 ‘‘(C) HEALTH PROTECTION.—Notwith10 standing any other provision in this Act, each 

11 maximum contaminant level goal and national 

12 primary drinking water regulation established 

13 under this subsection shall be protective of the 

14 health of subpopulations at greater risk, as 

15 identified in section 1458.’’. 

16 (e) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 1412(b) 

17 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300g–1(b)) 

18 is amended— 

19 (1) in paragraph (3)(C)(i)— 

20 (A) by striking ‘‘paragraph (5) or (6)(A)’’ 

21 and inserting ‘‘paragraph (5)’’; and 

22 (B) by striking ‘‘paragraphs (4), (5), and 

23 (6)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraphs (4) and (5)’’; 

24 and 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
22 

•HR 10440 IH

1 (2) in paragraph (4)(B), by striking ‘‘para2 graphs (5) and (6)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph (5)’’. 

3 SEC. 202. CITIZENS’ PETITIONS FOR NEW OR REVISED NA4 TIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULA5 TIONS. 

6 Section 1412 of Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 

7 300g–1) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

8 ‘‘(f) CITIZENS’ PETITIONS FOR NEW OR REVISED

9 NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS.— 

10 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Any person may petition 

11 the Administrator to promulgate a new or revised 

12 national primary drinking water regulation and max13 imum contaminant level goal for a contaminant in 

14 accordance with this section. 

15 ‘‘(2) PROCEDURES.— 

16 ‘‘(A) REQUIREMENTS FOR PETITIONS.—A 

17 petition under paragraph (1) shall— 

18 ‘‘(i) be filed in the principal office of 

19 the Administrator; and 

20 ‘‘(ii) include such evidence (which 

21 shall be based upon government or public 

22 water system data, independent monitoring 

23 conducted using certified laboratories, or 

24 published, peer-reviewed literature) that 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
23 

•HR 10440 IH

1 supports an applicable determination under 

2 subparagraph (D). 

3 ‘‘(B) PUBLIC HEARING, INVESTIGATION, 

4 OR OTHER PROCEEDING.—The Administrator— 

5 ‘‘(i) shall issue a public notice of the 

6 receipt of a petition under paragraph (1) 

7 not later than 5 business days after such 

8 receipt; and 

9 ‘‘(ii) may conduct such investigation 

10 or proceeding as the Administrator deter11 mines appropriate, including holding a 

12 public hearing, in order to determine 

13 whether to grant or deny a petition filed 

14 under paragraph (1). 

15 ‘‘(C) DEADLINE.—Not later than 180 days 

16 after a person files a petition in accordance 

17 with subparagraph (A), the Administrator shall 

18 either grant or deny the petition based on— 

19 ‘‘(i) the evidence included in the peti20 tion; and 

21 ‘‘(ii) any other evidence described in 

22 subparagraph (A)(ii) that the Adminis23 trator may possesses or that was submitted 

24 to the Administrator not later than 30 

25 days after the Administrator issued a pubVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:32 Jan 22, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H10440.IH H10440

kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
24 

•HR 10440 IH

1 lic notice of the receipt of the petition 

2 under subparagraph (B)(i). 

3 ‘‘(D) DETERMINATIONS.— 

4 ‘‘(i) NEW REGULATIONS.—The Ad5 ministrator shall grant a petition under 

6 paragraph (1) to promulgate a new na7 tional primary drinking water regulation 

8 and maximum contaminant level goal for a 

9 contaminant if the Administrator deter10 mines that the criteria of clauses (i), (ii), 

11 and (iii) of subsection (b)(1)(A) are satis12 fied. 

13 ‘‘(ii) REVISED REGULATIONS.—The 

14 Administrator shall grant a petition under 

15 paragraph (1) to promulgate a revised na16 tional primary drinking water regulation 

17 and maximum contaminant level goal for a 

18 contaminant if the Administrator deter19 mines a revised national primary drinking 

20 water regulation and maximum contami21 nant level goal for the contaminant will 

22 provide for greater protection of the health 

23 of persons. 

24 ‘‘(E) DETERMINATION TO REGULATE; REA25 SONS FOR DENIAL.—If the Administrator 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
25 

•HR 10440 IH

1 grants a petition under subparagraph (D), such 

2 decision shall be considered a determination to 

3 regulate a contaminant under subsection 

4 (b)(1)(B) for purposes of subsection (b)(1)(E). 

5 If the Administrator denies a petition under 

6 subparagraph (D), the Administrator shall pub7 lish in the Federal Register the Administrator’s 

8 reasons for such denial. 

9 ‘‘(F) CIVIL ACTIONS.— 

10 ‘‘(i) DENIED PETITIONS.—The denial 

11 of a petition filed under this subsection 

12 shall be considered an action pertaining to 

13 the establishment of national primary 

14 drinking water regulations under section 

15 1448(a)(1). 

16 ‘‘(ii) FAILURE TO ACT.—If the Ad17 ministrator fails to grant or deny a peti18 tion filed under this subsection by the 180- 

19 day deadline described in subparagraph 

20 (C), the petitioner may commence a civil 

21 action under section 1449(a)(2) to order 

22 the Administrator to grant or deny the pe23 tition.’’. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
26 

•HR 10440 IH

1 SEC. 203. NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULA2 TIONS FOR PFAS. 

3 Section 1412(b) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 

4 U.S.C. 300g–1(b)) is amended by adding at the end the 

5 following: 

6 ‘‘(16) PERFLUOROALKYL AND

7 POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES.— 

8 ‘‘(A) DETERMINATION.—Notwithstanding 

9 any other deadline established in this sub10 section, the Administrator shall make a deter11 mination under paragraph (1)(A), using the cri12 teria described in clauses (i) through (iii) of 

13 that paragraph, whether to publish a maximum 

14 contaminant level goal and promulgate a na15 tional primary drinking water regulation for a 

16 perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance or 

17 class of perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl sub18 stances not later than 18 months after the later 

19 of— 

20 ‘‘(i) the date on which the 

21 perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance 

22 or class of perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl 

23 substances is listed on the list of contami24 nants for consideration of regulation under 

25 paragraph (1)(B)(i); and 

26 ‘‘(ii) the date on which— 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
27 

•HR 10440 IH

1 ‘‘(I) the Administrator has re2 ceived the results of monitoring under 

3 section 1445(a)(2)(B) for the 

4 perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl sub5 stance or class of perfluoroalkyl or 

6 polyfluoroalkyl substances; or 

7 ‘‘(II) the Administrator has re8 ceived reliable water data or water 

9 monitoring surveys for the 

10 perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl sub11 stance or class of perfluoroalkyl or 

12 polyfluoroalkyl substances from a 

13 Federal or State agency that the Ad14 ministrator determines to be of a 

15 quality sufficient to make a deter16 mination under paragraph (1)(A). 

17 ‘‘(B) PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULA18 TIONS.— 

19 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding 

20 any other deadline established in this sub21 section, for each perfluoroalkyl or 

22 polyfluoroalkyl substance or class of 

23 perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances 

24 that the Administrator determines to reguVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:32 Jan 22, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H10440.IH H10440

kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
28 

•HR 10440 IH

1 late under subparagraph (A), the Adminis2 trator— 

3 ‘‘(I) not later than 18 months 

4 after the date on which the Adminis5 trator makes the determination, shall 

6 propose a national primary drinking 

7 water regulation for the perfluoroalkyl 

8 or polyfluoroalkyl substance or class 

9 of perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl 

10 substances; and 

11 ‘‘(II) may publish the proposed 

12 national primary drinking water regu13 lation described in subclause (I) con14 currently with the publication of the 

15 determination to regulate the 

16 perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl sub17 stance or class of perfluoroalkyl or 

18 polyfluoroalkyl substances. 

19 ‘‘(ii) DEADLINE.— 

20 ‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—Notwith21 standing any other deadline estab22 lished in this subsection, not later 

23 than 1 year after the date on which 

24 the Administrator publishes a pro25 posed national primary drinking water 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
29 

•HR 10440 IH

1 regulation under clause (i)(I) and sub2 ject to subclause (II) of this clause, 

3 the Administrator shall take final ac4 tion on the proposed national primary 

5 drinking water regulation. 

6 ‘‘(II) EXTENSION.—The Admin7 istrator, on publication of notice in 

8 the Federal Register, may extend the 

9 deadline under subclause (I) by not 

10 more than 6 months. 

11 ‘‘(C) ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURES.— 

12 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 

13 year after the validation by the Adminis14 trator of an equally effective quality con15 trol and testing procedure to ensure com16 pliance with a national primary drinking 

17 water regulation promulgated under this 

18 paragraph to measure the levels described 

19 in clause (ii) or other methods to detect 

20 and monitor perfluoroalkyl or 

21 polyfluoroalkyl substances in drinking 

22 water, the Administrator shall add the pro23 cedure or method as an alternative to the 

24 quality control and testing procedure de25 scribed in such national primary drinking 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
30 

•HR 10440 IH

1 water regulation by publishing the proce2 dure or method in the Federal Register in 

3 accordance with section 1401(1)(D). 

4 ‘‘(ii) LEVELS DESCRIBED.—The levels 

5 referred to in clause (i) are— 

6 ‘‘(I) the level of a perfluoroalkyl 

7 or polyfluoroalkyl substance; 

8 ‘‘(II) the total levels of 

9 perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl sub10 stances; and 

11 ‘‘(III) the total levels of organic 

12 fluorine. 

13 ‘‘(D) MONITORING.—When establishing 

14 monitoring requirements for public water sys15 tems as part of a national primary drinking 

16 water regulation under this paragraph, the Ad17 ministrator shall tailor the monitoring require18 ments for public water systems that do not de19 tect or are reliably and consistently below the 

20 maximum contaminant level (as defined in sec21 tion 1418(b)(2)(B)) for the perfluoroalkyl or 

22 polyfluoroalkyl substance or class of 

23 perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances sub24 ject to the national primary drinking water reg25 ulation. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
31 

•HR 10440 IH

1 ‘‘(E) HEALTH RISK REDUCTION AND COST

2 ANALYSIS.—In meeting the requirements of 

3 paragraph (3)(C), the Administrator may rely 

4 on information available to the Administrator 

5 with respect to one or more specific 

6 perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances to 

7 extrapolate reasoned conclusions regarding the 

8 health risks and effects of a class of 

9 perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances of 

10 which the specific perfluoroalkyl or 

11 polyfluoroalkyl substances are a part. 

12 ‘‘(F) HEALTH ADVISORY.— 

13 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Subject to clause 

14 (ii), the Administrator shall publish a 

15 health advisory under paragraph (1)(F) for 

16 a perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl sub17 stance or class of perfluoroalkyl or 

18 polyfluoroalkyl substances not subject to a 

19 national primary drinking water regulation 

20 not later than 1 year after the later of— 

21 ‘‘(I) the date on which the Ad22 ministrator finalizes a toxicity value 

23 for the perfluoroalkyl or 

24 polyfluoroalkyl substance or class of 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
32 

•HR 10440 IH

1 perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl sub2 stances; and 

3 ‘‘(II) the date on which the Ad4 ministrator validates an effective qual5 ity control and testing procedure for 

6 the perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl 

7 substance or class of perfluoroalkyl or 

8 polyfluoroalkyl substances. 

9 ‘‘(ii) WAIVER.—The Administrator 

10 may waive the requirements of clause (i) 

11 with respect to a perfluoroalkyl or 

12 polyfluoroalkyl substance or class of 

13 perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl sub14 stances if the Administrator determines 

15 that there is a substantial likelihood that 

16 the perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl sub17 stance or class of perfluoroalkyl or 

18 polyfluoroalkyl substances will not occur in 

19 drinking water with sufficient frequency to 

20 justify the publication of a health advisory, 

21 and publishes such determination, includ22 ing the information and analysis used, and 

23 basis for, such determination, in the Fed24 eral Register. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
33 

•HR 10440 IH

1 ‘‘(G) PERFLUOROALKYL OR

2 POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCE DEFINED.—In 

3 this paragraph, the term ‘perfluoroalkyl or 

4 polyfluoroalkyl substance’ means any man-made 

5 chemical with at least one fully fluorinated car6 bon atom.’’. 

7 SEC. 204. NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULA8 TIONS FOR MICROCYSTIN TOXIN. 

9 Section 1412(b) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 

10 U.S.C. 300g–1(b)) is further amended by adding at the 

11 end the following: 

12 ‘‘(17) MICROCYSTIN TOXIN.—Notwithstanding 

13 any other deadline established in this subsection, not 

14 later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the 

15 Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act of 2024, 

16 the Administrator shall publish a maximum contami17 nant level goal and promulgate a national primary 

18 drinking water regulation for microcystin toxin.’’. 

19 SEC. 205. NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULA20 TIONS FOR 1,4-DIOXANE. 

21 Section 1412(b) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 

22 U.S.C. 300g–1(b)) is further amended by adding at the 

23 end the following: 

24 ‘‘(18) 1,4-DIOXANE.—Notwithstanding any 

25 other deadline established in this subsection, not 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
34 

•HR 10440 IH

1 later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the 

2 Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act of 2024, 

3 the Administrator shall publish a maximum contami4 nant level goal and promulgate a national primary 

5 drinking water regulation for 1,4-dioxane.’’. 

6 SEC. 206. NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULA7 TIONS FOR CHROMIUM-6. 

8 Section 1412(b) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 

9 U.S.C. 300g–1(b)) is further amended by adding at the 

10 end the following: 

11 ‘‘(19) CHROMIUM-6.—Notwithstanding any 

12 other deadline established in this subsection, not 

13 later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the 

14 Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act of 2024, 

15 the Administrator shall publish a maximum contami16 nant level goal and promulgate a national primary 

17 drinking water regulation for chromium-6.’’. 

18 SEC. 207. ELIMINATION OF SMALL SYSTEM VARIANCES. 

19 (a) SMALL SYSTEM VARIANCES.—Section 1415 (42 

20 U.S.C. 300g–4) of the Safe Drinking Water Act is amend21 ed by striking subsection (e). 

22 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

23 (1) Section 1412(b)(15) of the Safe Drinking 

24 Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300g–1(b)(15)) is amended by 

25 striking subparagraph (D). 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
35 

•HR 10440 IH

1 (2) Section 1414(c)(1)(B) of the Safe Drinking 

2 Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300g–3(c)(1)(B)) is amended 

3 by striking ‘‘, (a)(2), or (e)’’ and inserting ‘‘or 

4 (a)(2)’’. 

5 (3) Section 1416(b)(2) of the Safe Drinking 

6 Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300g–5(b)(2)) is amended by 

7 striking subparagraph (D). 

8 (4) Section 1445(h) of the Safe Drinking Water 

9 Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–4(h)) is amended— 

10 (A) by striking ‘‘sections 1412(b)(4)(E) 

11 and 1415(e) (relating to small system variance 

12 program)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 

13 1412(b)(4)(E)’’; and 

14 (B) by striking ‘‘guidance under sections 

15 1412(b)(4)(E) and 1415(e)’’ and inserting 

16 ‘‘guidance under section 1412(b)(4)(E)’’. 

17 TITLE III—AFFORDABILITY 

18 SEC. 301. WATER AFFORDABILITY PROGRAM. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—Part E of the Safe Drinking 

20 Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j et seq.) is further amended 

21 by adding at the end the following: 

22 ‘‘SEC. 1459I. WATER AFFORDABILITY PROGRAM. 

23 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator shall es24 tablish a program to annually provide to States and Indian 

25 Tribes grants to develop and carry out drinking water acVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:32 Jan 22, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H10440.IH H10440

kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
36 

•HR 10440 IH

1 cess programs to assist eligible households in improving 

2 or maintaining access to affordable drinking water. 

3 ‘‘(b) GRANTS TO STATES AND INDIAN TRIBES.— 

4 ‘‘(1) APPLICATIONS.—Each fiscal year a State 

5 or Indian Tribe may apply for a grant provided 

6 under the program established under subsection (a) 

7 by submitting to the Administrator an application, 

8 which shall be in such form as the Administrator 

9 shall require and shall contain assurances that the 

10 State or Indian Tribe will establish a program that 

11 meets the requirements of subsection (c)(1). 

12 ‘‘(2) FORMULA.—The Administrator shall de13 termine the amount of a grant provided under the 

14 program established under subsection (a) based 

15 on— 

16 ‘‘(A) the number of eligible households in 

17 the State or under the jurisdiction of the Indian 

18 Tribe; 

19 ‘‘(B) the number of households in the 

20 State, or under the jurisdiction of the Indian 

21 Tribe, with an income equal to or less than 150 

22 percent of the poverty level; and 

23 ‘‘(C) the number of households in the 

24 State, or under the jurisdiction of the Indian 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
37 

•HR 10440 IH

1 Tribe, that spend more than 30 percent of the 

2 monthly income of the household on housing. 

3 ‘‘(3) LIMITATIONS.— 

4 ‘‘(A) WATER CONSERVATION.—Not more 

5 than 15 percent of any grant provided under 

6 the program established under subsection (a) 

7 may be used to support efforts to improve 

8 water conservation and reduce water usage. 

9 ‘‘(B) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—Not 

10 more than 15 percent of any grant provided 

11 under the program established under subsection 

12 (a) may be used to pay for the administrative 

13 expenses of carrying out a drinking water ac14 cess program under subsection (c)(1). 

15 ‘‘(4) NONCOMPLIANCE AND POTENTIAL REDIS16 TRIBUTION.— 

17 ‘‘(A) NONCOMPLIANCE.— 

18 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—If the Adminis19 trator determines that a State or Indian 

20 Tribe is not using a grant in accordance 

21 with this section, the Administrator shall 

22 provide to the State or Indian Tribe writ23 ten notice that describes the noncompli24 ance. Not later than 60 days of receiving 

25 such written notice, the State or Indian 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
38 

•HR 10440 IH

1 Tribe shall provide to the Administrator a 

2 plan to remedy the noncompliance de3 scribed in the written notice. 

4 ‘‘(ii) NONCOMPLIANCE OF COMMUNITY

5 WATER SYSTEM.—If a State or Indian 

6 Tribe determines that a community water 

7 system with which the State or Indian 

8 Tribe entered into a contract or other 

9 agreement under subsection (c)(2) is not 

10 using a grant in accordance with this sec11 tion, the State or Indian Tribe shall pro12 vide to the community water system writ13 ten notice that describes the noncompli14 ance. If such community water system fails 

15 to remedy the noncompliance by not later 

16 than 90 days after receiving such written 

17 notice, the State or Indian Tribe shall ter18 minate the contract or other agreement en19 tered into under subsection (c)(2) and im20 plement the drinking water access program 

21 on behalf of the community water system. 

22 ‘‘(B) POTENTIAL REDISTRIBUTION.—The 

23 Administrator may withhold a grant to be pro24 vided to a State or Indian Tribe that has failed 

25 to remedy any noncompliance described in writVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:32 Jan 22, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00038 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H10440.IH H10440

kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
39 

•HR 10440 IH

1 ten notice provided under subparagraph (A) 

2 and distribute such grant among the remaining 

3 Indian Tribes in accordance with the formula 

4 described under paragraph (2). 

5 ‘‘(c) DRINKING WATER ACCESS PROGRAMS.— 

6 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A State or Indian Tribe 

7 that receives a grant under the program established 

8 under subsection (a) shall use such grant to carry 

9 out a program to assist eligible households in im10 proving or maintaining access to affordable drinking 

11 water. Each such drinking water access program 

12 shall— 

13 ‘‘(A) provide covered assistance to eligible 

14 households to be used to improve or maintain 

15 access by such households to affordable drink16 ing water services; 

17 ‘‘(B) provide for timely and meaningful 

18 public participation in the development and im19 plementation of the program, including an op20 portunity for public comment; 

21 ‘‘(C) subject to the requirement of sub22 paragraph (H), ensure that such covered assist23 ance is distributed in a manner that ensures ge24 ographic distribution of such assistance in pro25 portion to the geographic distribution of eligible 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
40 

•HR 10440 IH

1 households within the State or under the juris2 diction of the Indian Tribe; 

3 ‘‘(D) utilize efficient methods for deter4 mining eligibility of households, including— 

5 ‘‘(i) to the maximum extent feasible, 

6 sharing of data from other income-quali7 fied assistance programs carried out by the 

8 State (including any local government of 

9 the State), the Indian Tribe, or the Fed10 eral Government to facilitate automatic en11 rollment; and 

12 ‘‘(ii) allowance for self-attestation of 

13 income qualification; 

14 ‘‘(E) carry out outreach and provide edu15 cation to eligible households to ensure that eli16 gible households are made aware of the covered 

17 assistance provided under the drinking water 

18 access program; 

19 ‘‘(F) support efforts to improve water con20 servation and reduce water usage in residences 

21 occupied by eligible households, including 

22 through installation of water efficient fixtures 

23 and leak repairs; 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
41 

•HR 10440 IH

1 ‘‘(G) use effective methods to promote ac2 cess to covered assistance provided under the 

3 drinking water access program— 

4 ‘‘(i) including by allowing utilities to 

5 receive funds for debt reduction and di6 rectly apply them to customer accounts, 

7 and by allowing for electronic signature; 

8 and 

9 ‘‘(ii) which may not include requiring 

10 in-person enrollment appointments or asset 

11 tests; 

12 ‘‘(H) coordinate activities carried out 

13 under the drinking water access program with 

14 activities carried out under similar programs 

15 administered by the Federal Government, 

16 States, and Indian Tribes, including programs 

17 related to low-income energy assistance; and 

18 ‘‘(I) if such program is carried out by a 

19 State, each fiscal year, provide as covered as20 sistance not less than 20 percent of such grant 

21 to eligible households that are served by small 

22 systems within such State. 

23 ‘‘(2) CONTRACTS WITH COMMUNITY WATER

24 SYSTEMS.—A State or Indian Tribe may enter into 

25 a contract or other agreement with a community 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
42 

•HR 10440 IH

1 water system under which the community water sys2 tem, in accordance with the applicable requirements 

3 of paragraph (1), carries out the drinking water ac4 cess program of the State or Indian Tribe with re5 spect to the customers of the community water sys6 tem. A contract or other agreement entered into 

7 under this paragraph shall include terms or condi8 tions that the community water system— 

9 ‘‘(A) shall maintain a— 

10 ‘‘(i) a long-term financial plan; 

11 ‘‘(ii) an asset management plan; 

12 ‘‘(iii) a capital improvement plan; and 

13 ‘‘(iv) a fiscal management plan; and 

14 ‘‘(B) shall demonstrate capacity to create 

15 and implement an effective community outreach 

16 plan to inform eligible households of the avail17 ability of covered assistance under the drinking 

18 water access program. 

19 ‘‘(3) INCOME VERIFICATION.—In determining 

20 the income of a household for purposes of deter21 mining whether the household is an eligible house22 hold, a State, Indian Tribe, or community water sys23 tem may use procedures and policies consistent with 

24 procedures and policies used by other low-income as25 sistance programs. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
43 

•HR 10440 IH

1 ‘‘(4) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—As a condi2 tion of receiving a grant under the program estab3 lished under subsection (a), a State or Indian Tribe 

4 shall submit to the Administrator, in a manner de5 termined by the Administrator, information regard6 ing the drinking water access program the State or 

7 Indian Tribe carries out under paragraph (1) (in8 cluding any part of such program carried out pursu9 ant to a contract or other agreement entered into 

10 under paragraph (2)), including— 

11 ‘‘(A) the design and implementation of the 

12 drinking water access program, including— 

13 ‘‘(i) the type of covered assistance 

14 provided; 

15 ‘‘(ii) sources of funding other than 

16 such grant; 

17 ‘‘(iii) the number of eligible house18 holds that received covered assistance 

19 under the drinking water access program, 

20 disaggregated by type of covered assistance 

21 received; and 

22 ‘‘(iv) drinking water access program 

23 costs; 

24 ‘‘(B) the impacts of the drinking water ac25 cess program on community water systems and 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
44 

•HR 10440 IH

1 eligible households that received covered assist2 ance under the drinking water access program, 

3 including— 

4 ‘‘(i) the average amount of covered as5 sistance provided to such eligible house6 holds, disaggregated by type of covered as7 sistance; 

8 ‘‘(ii) the percentage of eligible house9 holds that received covered assistance 

10 under the drinking water access program; 

11 ‘‘(iii) the average amount of bill debt 

12 carried by such households before and 

13 after enrollment in the drinking water ac14 cess program; 

15 ‘‘(iv) the number of annual service 

16 disconnections for nonpayment; 

17 ‘‘(v) the resources from community 

18 water systems used to resolve delinquent 

19 bills; and 

20 ‘‘(vi) the percent of on-time bill pay21 ments; 

22 ‘‘(C) barriers to eligible households receiv23 ing covered assistance under the drinking water 

24 access program; and 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
45 

•HR 10440 IH

1 ‘‘(D) any other relevant information the 

2 Administrator may require. 

3 ‘‘(5) PROHIBITION.—A community water sys4 tem that receives funding from a drinking water ac5 cess program (directly as covered assistance or indi6 rectly from an eligible household that received cov7 ered assistance and is a customer of such system) 

8 may not disconnect or interrupt the service of any 

9 eligible household as a result of nonpayment or ar10 rearages during any period of one year that begins 

11 on the date on which the eligible household receives 

12 covered assistance under the drinking water access 

13 program. 

14 ‘‘(6) NON-DISCRIMINATION.—No person shall 

15 on the ground of race, color, national origin, or sex 

16 be excluded from participation in, be denied the ben17 efits of, or be subjected to discrimination under, any 

18 drinking water access program funded in whole or in 

19 part with funds made available under this section. 

20 Any prohibition against discrimination on the basis 

21 of age under the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 or 

22 with respect to an otherwise qualified handicapped 

23 individual as provided in section 504 of the Rehabili24 tation Act of 1973 also shall apply to any such 

25 drinking water access program. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
46 

•HR 10440 IH

1 ‘‘(7) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER EXISTING LAW

2 AND PROGRAMS.— 

3 ‘‘(A) SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.—Cov4 ered assistance provided under a drinking water 

5 access program carried out under paragraph 

6 (1)— 

7 ‘‘(i) may not be used to replace funds 

8 for any existing, similar local program to 

9 assist households in maintaining access to 

10 affordable drinking water; and 

11 ‘‘(ii) may be used to supplement or 

12 enhance such a local program. 

13 ‘‘(B) EXEMPTION FROM INCOME TAX.— 

14 For purposes of the Internal Revenue Code of 

15 1986, in the case of any individual who is a 

16 member of an eligible household, gross income 

17 shall not include assistance provided to such in18 dividual pursuant to this section. 

19 ‘‘(C) NO EFFECT ON OTHER BENEFITS OR

20 ASSISTANCE.—Assistance provided to an eligible 

21 household pursuant to this section shall not be 

22 taken into account as income, and shall not be 

23 taken into account as resources for the month 

24 of receipt and the following 12 months, for pur25 poses of determining the eligibility of such 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
47 

•HR 10440 IH

1 household for benefits or assistance, or the 

2 amount or extent of benefits or assistance, 

3 under any Federal program or under any State 

4 or local program financed in whole or in part 

5 with Federal funds. 

6 ‘‘(d) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— 

7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall, 

8 subject to the availability of appropriations, provide 

9 technical assistance to States, Indian Tribes, and 

10 community water systems that entered into a con11 tract or other agreement with a State or Indian 

12 Tribe under this section to support the implementa13 tion of this section. Not more than 1 percent of the 

14 amount made available to carry out this section for 

15 a fiscal year may be used to provide technical assist16 ance under this paragraph. 

17 ‘‘(2) GRANTS.—The Administrator may award 

18 grants to nonprofit organizations to provide tech19 nical assistance under paragraph (1). Each non20 profit organization receiving a grant under this 

21 paragraph shall consult with the State, Indian Tribe, 

22 or community water system to which the technical 

23 assistance is to be provided before using the grant. 

24 The Administrator shall prioritize awarding grants 

25 under this paragraph to nonprofit organizations 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
48 

•HR 10440 IH

1 that, as determined by the Administrator, are the 

2 most qualified and experienced in providing technical 

3 assistance to community water systems. 

4 ‘‘(e) GUIDANCE.—The Administrator shall provide 

5 guidance to States, Indian Tribes, and community water 

6 systems to carry out an effective drinking water access 

7 program in accordance with subsection (c), including ef8 fective methods to inform eligible households of the avail9 ability of covered assistance under such a program. 

10 ‘‘(f) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 

11 on which grants are first provided to a State or Indian 

12 Tribe under the program established under subsection (a), 

13 and each year thereafter, the Administrator shall submit 

14 to Congress a report on the results of such program. 

15 ‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

16 ‘‘(1) COVERED ASSISTANCE.—The term ‘cov17 ered assistance’ means each of the following: 

18 ‘‘(A) Direct financial assistance. 

19 ‘‘(B) A lifeline rate. 

20 ‘‘(C) Bill discounting. 

21 ‘‘(D) Special hardship provisions. 

22 ‘‘(E) A percentage-of-income payment 

23 plan. 

24 ‘‘(F) A payment made directly to a cus25 tomer account of arrearages or fees from nonVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:32 Jan 22, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00048 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H10440.IH H10440

kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
49 

•HR 10440 IH

1 payment for services provided by a community 

2 water system. 

3 ‘‘(G) Any other form of assistance identi4 fied by the Administrator. 

5 ‘‘(2) HOUSEHOLD.—The term ‘household’ 

6 means any individual or group of individuals who 

7 are living together as 1 economic unit. 

8 ‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLD.—The term ‘eligi9 ble household’ means a household— 

10 ‘‘(A) that includes an individual who is— 

11 ‘‘(i) the holder of an account for 

12 drinking water service that is provided to 

13 that household by a community water sys14 tem; or 

15 ‘‘(ii) separately billed by a landlord 

16 that holds an account with a community 

17 water system for the cost of drinking water 

18 service provided to that household; and 

19 ‘‘(B)(i) that has an income that, as deter20 mined by the State in which the household is lo21 cated, does not exceed the greater of— 

22 ‘‘(I) an amount equal to 150 percent 

23 of the poverty level; and 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
50 

•HR 10440 IH

1 ‘‘(II) an amount equal to 60 percent 

2 of the State median income for that State; 

3 or 

4 ‘‘(ii) in which 1 or more individuals are re5 ceiving— 

6 ‘‘(I) assistance under a State program 

7 funded under part A of title IV of the So8 cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.); 

9 ‘‘(II) supplemental security income 

10 payments under title XVI of the Social Se11 curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.); 

12 ‘‘(III) assistance under the Low-In13 come Home Energy Assistance Act of 

14 1981 (42 U.S.C. 8621 et seq.); 

15 ‘‘(IV) supplemental nutrition assist16 ance program benefits under the Food and 

17 Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et 

18 seq.); or 

19 ‘‘(V) payments under— 

20 ‘‘(aa) section 1315, 1521, 1541, 

21 or 1542 of title 38, United States 

22 Code; or 

23 ‘‘(bb) section 306 of the Vet24 erans’ and Survivors’ Pension ImVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:32 Jan 22, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00050 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H10440.IH H10440

kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
51 

•HR 10440 IH

1 provement Act of 1978 (38 U.S.C. 

2 1521 note; Public Law 95–588). 

3 ‘‘(4) POVERTY LEVEL.—The term ‘poverty 

4 level’ means, with respect to a household in a State, 

5 the income described in the poverty guidelines issued 

6 by the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

7 pursuant to section 673 of the Community Services 

8 Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902), as applicable to 

9 the household. 

10 ‘‘(5) SMALL SYSTEM.—The term ‘small system’ 

11 means a community water system that serves fewer 

12 than 10,000 people. 

13 ‘‘(6) STATE MEDIAN INCOME.—The term ‘State 

14 median income’ has the meaning given that term in 

15 section 2603 of the Low-Income Home Energy As16 sistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 8622). 

17 ‘‘(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

18 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 

19 appropriated $1,500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

20 2025 through 2034 to carry out this section. 

21 ‘‘(2) SET-ASIDE FOR INDIAN TRIBES.—The Ad22 ministrator shall ensure that not less than 3 percent 

23 of the amounts made available to carry out this sec24 tion are provided as grants to Indian Tribes.’’. 

25 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
52 

•HR 10440 IH

1 (1) RURAL AND LOW-INCOME WATER ASSIST2 ANCE PILOT PROGRAM.—The Infrastructure Invest3 ment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117–58) is amended 

4 by striking section 50109. 

5 (2) DEFINITION OF INDIAN TRIBE.—Section 

6 1401(14) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 

7 U.S.C. 300f(14)) is amended by striking ‘‘and 

8 1459B’’ and inserting ‘‘1459B, and 1459I’’. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB