I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8032 

To authorize the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 16, 2024 

Mr. SORENSEN (for himself, Mrs. CHAVEZ-DEREMER, Ms. SCHRIER, and Mrs. 

GONZA ́LEZ-COLO ́N) 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 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Low-Income House5 hold Water Assistance Program Establishment Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLD WATER ASSISTANCE 

7 PROGRAM. 

8 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis2 trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ3 mental Protection Agency. 

4 (2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti5 ty’’ means a State, or Indian tribe, that is eligible 

6 to receive or previously received a grant under the 

7 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 

8 (42 U.S.C. 8621 et seq.). 

9 (3) HOUSEHOLD.—The term ‘‘household’’ 

10 means any individual or group of individuals who 

11 are living together as 1 economic unit. 

12 (4) LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLD.—The term 

13 ‘‘low-income household’’ means a household— 

14 (A) in which 1 or more individuals are re15 ceiving— 

16 (i) assistance under the State pro17 gram funded under part A of title IV of 

18 the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et 

19 seq.); 

20 (ii) supplemental security income pay21 ments under title XVI of the Social Secu22 rity Act (42 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.); 

23 (iii) supplemental nutrition assistance 

24 program benefits under the Food and NuVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:40 Apr 25, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8032.IH H8032

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1 trition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et 

2 seq.); 

3 (iv) payments under— 

4 (I) section 1315, 1521, 1541, or 

5 1542 of title 38, United States Code; 

6 or 

7 (II) section 306 of the Veterans’ 

8 and Survivors’ Pension Improvement 

9 Act of 1978 (38 U.S.C. 1521 note; 

10 Public Law 95–588); or 

11 (v) assistance under the Low-Income 

12 Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981; or 

13 (B) that has an income that, as deter14 mined by the State or Indian tribe, does not ex15 ceed the greatest of— 

16 (i) an amount equal to 150 percent of 

17 the poverty level; 

18 (ii) an amount equal to 60 percent of 

19 the State median income for that State or 

20 the State in which the Indian tribe is pri21 marily located; and 

22 (iii) an amount equal to 60 percent of 

23 the area median income for the area in 

24 which the household is located. 


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1 (5) POVERTY LEVEL.—The term ‘‘poverty 

2 level’’ means the poverty line determined pursuant 

3 to section 673 of the Community Services Block 

4 Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902). 

5 (6) PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘public 

6 water system’’ has the meaning given the term in 

7 section 1401 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 

8 U.S.C. 300f). 

9 (7) QUALIFIED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.— 

10 The term ‘‘qualified nonprofit organization’’ includes 

11 a nonprofit organization described in section 

12 680(a)(3)(B) of the Community Services Block 

13 Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9921(a)(3)(B)). 

14 (8) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

15 the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 

16 (9) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means any of 

17 the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Com18 monwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the United States 

19 Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Common20 wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. 

21 (10) TREATMENT WORKS.—The term ‘‘treat22 ment works’’ has the meaning given the term in sec23 tion 212 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 

24 (33 U.S.C. 1292). 

25 (b) ESTABLISHMENT.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consulta2 tion with the Administrator, shall establish the Low3 Income Household Water Assistance Program to 

4 award grants, in accordance with paragraph (2), to 

5 eligible entities to provide funds to owners and oper6 ators of public water systems or treatment works to 

7 assist low-income households in paying arrearages 

8 and other rates charged to such households for 

9 drinking water or wastewater services. 

10 (2) FORMULA.—In awarding grants under this 

11 subsection to eligible entities, the Secretary shall— 

12 (A) allot amounts made available for 

13 grants under this subsection to an eligible enti14 ty that is a State or Indian tribe based on— 

15 (i) the percentage of households in the 

16 State, or under the jurisdiction of the In17 dian tribe, with income equal to or less 

18 than 150 percent of the poverty level; or 

19 (ii) the percentage of households in 

20 the State, or under the jurisdiction of the 

21 Indian tribe, that spend more than 30 per22 cent of monthly income on housing; and 

23 (B) reserve up to 3 percent of amounts 

24 made available for grants under this subsection 

25 to eligible entities that are Indian tribes. 


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1 (c) RURAL, UNDERSERVED, AND INDIAN TRIBE AC2 CESS GRANTS.—The Secretary shall provide grants to 

3 qualified nonprofit organizations to assist owners or oper4 ators of public water systems or treatment works, in rural 

5 or underserved areas or in the jurisdiction of an Indian 

6 tribe, in accessing funds through the Low-Income House7 hold Water Assistance Program. 

8 (d) APPLICATIONS.—Each eligible entity seeking a 

9 grant under subsection (b), and each qualified nonprofit 

10 organization seeking a grant under subsection (c), shall 

11 submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in 

12 such manner, and containing such information as the Sec13 retary shall require. 

14 (e) LIMITATIONS.—A recipient of a grant under sub15 section (b) or (c)— 

16 (1) shall not use the funds from the grant to 

17 supplant any other funds for any program that as18 sists low-income households in maintaining access to 

19 affordable drinking water or wastewater services; 

20 and 

21 (2) may use the funds from the grant to supple22 ment or otherwise enhance any such program that 

23 satisfies the requirements under this section. 

24 (f) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR ELIGIBILITY RE25 QUIREMENTS.—The Secretary shall provide technical asVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:40 Apr 25, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8032.IH H8032

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1 sistance to eligible entities receiving a grant under sub2 section (b) for such eligible entities to establish data shar3 ing agreements to streamline categorical eligibility re4 quirements for low-income households. 

5 (g) TRANSFER TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTEC6 TION AGENCY.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—On the date on which the 

8 final report described in section 50109(d) of the In9 frastructure Investment and Jobs Act (42 U.S.C. 

10 300j–19a note; Public Law 117–58; 135 Stat. 1148) 

11 is submitted to Congress under such section, the 

12 Secretary, in coordination with the Administrator, 

13 shall transfer the Low-Income Household Water As14 sistance Program established under this section to 

15 the Environmental Protection Agency for adminis16 tration of such program by the Administrator in ac17 cordance with this section. 

18 (2) ADMINISTRATION.— 

19 (A) IN GENERAL.—Beginning on the date 

20 described in paragraph (1)— 

21 (i) the Administrator shall carry out 

22 all functions of the Secretary under this 

23 section; and 

24 (ii) for purposes of administering the 

25 program established under this section, 


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1 each reference in subsection (b)(2), (c), 

2 (d), and (f) to the Secretary shall be 

3 deemed a reference to the Administrator. 

4 (B) GRANTS PREVIOUSLY AWARDED.— 

5 Notwithstanding paragraph (1) and subpara6 graph (A), the Secretary shall continue, after 

7 the transfer under paragraph (1), administering 

8 each grant awarded under this section prior to 

9 such transfer until the expiration of the term of 

10 such grant. 

11 (3) UNOBLIGATED BALANCES.—On the date de12 scribed in paragraph (1) and subject to section 1531 

13 of title 31, United States Code, the Secretary shall 

14 transfer all unobligated balances of appropriations, 

15 authorizations, allocations, or other funds available 

16 to the Low-Income Household Water Assistance 

17 Program established under this section (except for 

18 any such balances related to grants awarded prior to 

19 the transfer under paragraph (1)) to the Adminis20 trator. The amounts of any such unobligated bal21 ances so transferred shall be used only for the pur22 poses for which the amounts were originally author23 ized and appropriated. 


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1 (h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

2 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

3 $1,100,000,000. 

Æ 


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