69–010 

Calendar No. 1037 

110TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 2d Session 110–476 

RURAL ALASKA NATIVE VILLAGE WATER AND SEWER 

BILL 

SEPTEMBER 22 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 17), 2008.—Ordered to be printed 

Mrs. BOXER, from the Committee on Environment and Public 

Works, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 199] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Environment and Public Works, to which was 

referred a bill (S. 199) to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act 

Amendments of 1996 to modify the grant program to improve sanitation in rural and Native villages in the State of Alaska, reports 

favorably thereon and recommends the bill do pass. 

PURPOSES OF THE LEGISLATION

S. 199 modifies, increases, and extends the existing grant program under the Safe Drinking Water Amendments Act of 1996 to 

help improve sanitation and water quality in rural and Native 

American villages in Alaska. 

GENERAL STATEMENT AND BACKGROUND

In rural communities in Alaska, particularly in Native American 

villages, as many as one third of homes do not have indoor plumbing. To help address this critical public health and environmental 

problem, the Safe Drinking Water Amendments Act of 1996 included a grant program to build public water and wastewater systems to improve public health and sanitation in rural and Native 

villages in Alaska. This program has been successful over the years 

in helping to provide plumbing, sewers and other infrastructure. 

S. 199 increases and extends the authorization of appropriations 

for grants to Alaska through FY 2010 to help build this important 

infrastructure. It also requires the state of Alaska to report to the 

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Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency annually on 

project goals and expenditures for the grant program. The bill directs the Administrator to require Alaska to correct any deficiencies identified in the report, and prohibits expenditures for 

projects for which any such deficiencies are not corrected by an 

agreed upon deadline. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Grants to Alaska to improve sanitation in rural and Native villages 

Section 1 requires each applicant for grants under the Safe 

Drinking Water Act grant program to clearly identify the scope and 

the goal of the project for which funding is sought and how the 

funds will be used to meet the specific, stated goal of the project; 

requires the State of Alaska to submit an annual report to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency describing: (1) 

the specific goals of each project, (2) how funds were used to meet 

the goal, and (3) whether the goals were met; requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to require the 

State of Alaska to correct any deficiencies identified in any annual 

report; prohibits additional expenditures for that project if a deficiency in a project included in a report under subsection (f) is not 

corrected within a period of time agreed to by the Administrator 

and the State of Alaska; increases authorization for appropriations 

to $42,000,000 and extends that authorization to 2010. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

S. 199 was introduced by Senator Murkowski of Alaska on January 8, 2007. The bill was read twice and referred to the Senate 

Committee on Environment and Public Works. The Committee met 

on July 31, 2008, when S. 199 was ordered favorably reported without amendment by voice vote. 

ROLL CALL VOTES

There were no roll call votes on the bill. The Committee met on 

July 31, 2008, when S. 199 was ordered favorably reported without 

amendment by voice vote. 

REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT

In compliance with section 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes evaluation of the regulatory impact of the reported bill. The Committee finds that as legislation modifying and expanding a grant program, the bill would 

not impose additional regulatory burdens. 

MANDATES ASSESSMENT

In compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 

(Pub. L. 104–4), the Committee finds that, in accordance with the 

conclusions of the Congressional Budget Office, S. 199 contains no 

intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) and would impose no costs 

on state, local, or tribal governments. 

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CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE ESTIMATE

S. 199—A bill to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments 

of 1996 to modify the grant program to improve sanitation in 

rural and native villages in the state of Alaska 

Summary: S. 199 would modify and extend the Environmental 

Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) grant program to improve sanitation in 

rural and native villages in Alaska. Under this bill, grants to the 

state of Alaska would be contingent on new performance standards, 

including state actions to ensure that applicants identify the scope 

and goals of proposed projects and explain how funding would be 

used to achieve those goals. This legislation also would authorize 

the appropriation of $42 million for each of fiscal years 2009 and 

2010 for EPA to provide grants to the state of Alaska. Assuming 

appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO estimates that implementing S. 199 would cost $84 million over the 2009–2013 period. Enacting S. 199 would not affect direct spending or revenues. 

S. 199 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates 

as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) and 

would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated budgetary impact of S. 199 is shown in the following table. The costs 

of this legislation fall within budget function 300 (natural resources 

and environment). For this estimate, CBO assumes that S. 199 will 

be enacted near the start of fiscal year 2009 and that the amounts 

authorized by the bill will be appropriated each year. Estimated 

outlays are based on historical spending patterns for similar programs. 

By fiscal year, in millions of dollars— 

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2009– 

2013 

CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION 

Grants to Improve Sanitation in Rural and Native Villages in Alaska: 

Authorization Level ........................................................................ 42 42 0 0 0 84 

Estimated Outlays ......................................................................... 17 34 22 8 3 84 

Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: S. 199 contains no 

intergovernmental mandates as defined in UMRA. The bill would 

extend an existing grant program for the state of Alaska to improve public water systems in rural and native villages. Any costs 

state, local, or tribal governments might incur, including matching 

funds, would result from complying with conditions of aid. 

Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: Susanne S. Mehlman. Impact on State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Neil Hood. Impact 

on the Private Sector: Amy Petz. 

Estimate approved by: Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director 

for Budget Analysis. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules 

of the Senate, changes in existing law made by the bill as reported 

are shown as follows: Existing law proposed to be omitted is enmstockstill on PROD1PC66 with HEARING

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closed in øblack brackets¿, new matter is printed in italic, existing 

law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman: 

* * * * * * * 

SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT AMENDMENTS OF 

1996 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 303. GRANTS TO ALASKA TO IMPROVE SANITATION IN RURAL 

AND NATIVE VILLAGES. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency may make grants to the State of Alaska for the benefit of rural and Native villages in Alaska to pay the Federal share 

of the cost of— 

(1) the development and construction of public water systems 

and wastewater systems to improve the health and sanitation 

conditions in the villages; and 

(2) training, technical assistance, and educational programs 

relating to the operation and management of sanitation services in rural and Native villages. 

(b) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the cost of the activities described in subsection (a) shall be 50 percent. 

(c) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—The State of Alaska may use an 

amount not to exceed 4 percent of any grant made available under 

this subsection for administrative expenses necessary to carry out 

the activities described in subsection (a). 

(d) CONSULTATION WITH THE STATE OF ALASKA.—The Administrator shall consult with the State of Alaska on a method of 

prioritizing the allocation of grants under subsection (a) according 

to the needs of, and relative health and sanitation conditions in, 

each eligible village. 

(e) REQUIREMENTS.—As a condition of receiving a grant under 

this section, the State of Alaska shall— 

(1) require each applicant to clearly identify the scope and the 

goal of the project for which funding is sought and how the 

funds will be used to meet the specific, stated goal of the project; 

(2) establish long-term goals for the program, including providing water and sewer systems to Alaska Native villages; and 

(3) carry out regular reviews of grantees to determine if the 

stated scope and goals of each grant are being met. 

(f) REPORTING.—Not later than December 31 of the calendar year 

following the fiscal year in which this subsection is enacted, and annually thereafter, the State of Alaska shall submit to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency a report describing 

the information obtained under subsection (e) during the fiscal year 

ending the preceding September 30, including— 

(1) the specific goals of each project; 

(2) how funds were used to meet the goal; and 

(3) whether the goals were met. 

(g) REVIEW.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Environmental 

Protection Agency shall require the State of Alaska to correct 

any deficiencies identified in a report under subsection (f). 

(2) FAILURE TO CORRECT OR REACH AGREEMENT.— 

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(A) IN GENERAL.—If a deficiency in a project included in 

a report under subsection (f) is not corrected within a period of time agreed to by the Administrator and the State 

of Alaska, the Administrator shall not permit additional 

expenditures for that project. 

(B) TIME AGREEMENT.— (i) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

date of submission to the Administrator of a report 

under subsection (f), the Administrator and the State of 

Alaska shall reach an agreement on a period of time 

referred to in subparagraph (A). 

(ii) FAILURE TO REACH AGREEMENT.—If the State of 

Alaska and the Administrator fail to reach an agreement on the period of time to correct a deficiency in a 

project included in a report under subsection (f) by the 

deadline specified in clause (i), the Administrator shall 

not permit additional expenditures for that project. 

ø(e)¿(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section ø$40,000,000¿ 

$42,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2001 through ø2005¿2010. 

* * * * * * * 

Æ 

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