I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8030 

To amend the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014 

with respect to the total amount of Federal assistance for projects 

in States experiencing severe drought and projects in historically disadvantaged communities, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 16, 2024 

Mr. PETERS (for himself, Ms. BARRAGA ́N, Mr. RUIZ, and Mr. VARGAS) 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 amend the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation 

Act of 2014 with respect to the total amount of Federal 

assistance for projects in States experiencing severe 

drought and projects in historically disadvantaged communities, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Drought Relief Ob3 tained Using Government Help Today Act of 2024’’ or 

4 the ‘‘DROUGHT Act of 2024’’. 

5 SEC. 2. FEDERAL ASSISTANCE FOR CERTAIN WATER INFRA6 STRUCTURE PROJECTS. 

7 Section 5029(b)(9) of the Water Infrastructure Fi8 nance and Innovation Act of 2014 (33 U.S.C. 3908(b)(9)) 

9 is amended by adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(D) EXCEPTIONS FOR CERTAIN

11 PROJECTS.— 

12 ‘‘(i) PROJECTS IN STATES EXPERI13 ENCING SEVERE DROUGHT.—Notwith14 standing subparagraph (A), the Adminis15 trator may finance up to 90 percent of the 

16 costs of a project described in paragraph 

17 (6) or (7) of section 5026 located in— 

18 ‘‘(I) a State that has been des19 ignated as D2 (severe drought) or 

20 greater according to the United States 

21 Drought Monitor for a minimum of 4 

22 weeks during any of the 3 years pre23 ceding the date on which assistance is 

24 provided for the project under this 

25 subtitle; or 


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1 ‘‘(II) a county for which a 

2 drought emergency has been declared 

3 by the applicable Governor at any 

4 time during the 3-year period pre5 ceding that date. 

6 ‘‘(ii) PROJECTS IN HISTORICALLY DIS7 ADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES.—Notwith8 standing subparagraph (A), the Adminis9 trator may finance up to 90 percent of the 

10 costs of a project described in paragraph 

11 (6) or (7) of section 5026 that serves a 

12 community that— 

13 ‘‘(I) is designated as disadvan14 taged, underserved, or financially dis15 tressed by— 

16 ‘‘(aa) the Climate and Eco17 nomic Justice Screening Tool of 

18 the Council on Environmental 

19 Quality; or 

20 ‘‘(bb) the Administrator 

21 pursuant to a water infrastruc22 ture program of the Environ23 mental Protection Agency, in24 cluding water infrastructure 

25 grant programs, clean water and 


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1 drinking water grant programs, 

2 and other grant programs under 

3 the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 

4 U.S.C. 300f et seq.) and the Fed5 eral Water Protection Control 

6 Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.); or 

7 ‘‘(II) meets the affordability cri8 teria established by a State pursuant 

9 to section 1452(d)(3) of the Safe 

10 Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j– 

11 12(d)(3)) or section 603(i)(2) of the 

12 Federal Water Pollution Control Act 

13 (33 U.S.C. 1383(i)(2)). 

14 ‘‘(iii) PRIORITY.—In carrying out this 

15 subparagraph, the Administrator shall 

16 prioritize financing for projects that— 

17 ‘‘(I) are located in a State that is 

18 experiencing severe drought, as de19 scribed in subclause (I) of clause (i), 

20 or a county for which a drought emer21 gency has been declared, as described 

22 in subclause (II) of that clause; and 

23 ‘‘(II) serve a community that is 

24 designated as disadvantaged, under25 served, or financially distressed, or 


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1 meets affordability criteria established 

2 by a State, as described in clause 

3 (ii).’’. 

Æ 


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