II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4336 

To provide for the improvement of rural infrastructure in the United States, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 28, 2020 

Mr. BENNET introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To provide for the improvement of rural infrastructure in 

the United States, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

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

5 ‘‘Reforming, Expanding, and Simplifying Investment for 

6 Local Infrastructure to Enhance our Neighborhoods and 

7 Towns Act’’ or the ‘‘RESILIENT Act’’. 

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

9 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

Sec. 2. Findings. 

Sec. 3. Definitions. 


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TITLE I—DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Sec. 101. Rural Partnerships Office. 

Sec. 102. Rural infrastructure partnerships. 

Sec. 103. Rural economic and community development. 

Sec. 104. Simplification of application process. 

TITLE II—INTERAGENCY COORDINATION 

Sec. 201. Rural Liaisons. 

Sec. 202. Interagency rural infrastructure task force. 

TITLE III—OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES 

Sec. 301. Rural infrastructure financing flexibility. 

Sec. 302. Drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. 

Sec. 303. Solicitation of public comment on conducting water audits with 

REAC inspections. 

TITLE IV—ADMINISTRATION 

Sec. 401. Effect of definition. 

Sec. 402. Authorization of appropriations. 

1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds that— 

3 (1) rural infrastructure, such as roads, water 

4 systems, and broadband, is in dire need of upgrade 

5 and repair; 

6 (2) rural areas face unique challenges when ad7 dressing infrastructure; 

8 (3) rural communities often lack staff with the 

9 necessary expertise to develop major infrastructure 

10 projects or to secure financing; 

11 (4) many rural projects struggle to attract re12 gional support or private sector investment; 

13 (5) revenue sources, such as taxes or user fees, 

14 are limited in many rural areas; 


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1 (6) 13 percent of major rural roads are in poor 

2 condition, and more than 50 percent of rural bridges 

3 are considered to not be in good condition; 

4 (7) only 60 percent of counties nationwide have 

public transportation service, and over 1 5 ⁄4 of those 

6 counties have very limited public transportation serv7 ice; 

8 (8) many rural transit vehicles are still on the 

9 road despite being past their useful life, which can 

10 lead to costly repairs, unreliable service, and safety 

11 issues; 

12 (9) every day, nearly 6,000,000,000 gallons of 

13 treated drinking water are lost, an amount that 

14 could support 15,000,000 households; 

15 (10) without a full investment in water, by 

16 2040, the cumulative impact from breakdowns in 

17 water supply, treatment, and wastewater capacity is 

18 estimated to cost manufacturers and other busi19 nesses $7,500,000,000,000 in lost sales and 

20 $4,100,000,000,000 in lost gross domestic product; 

21 (11) Federal agencies estimate that the cost of 

22 drinking water and wastewater infrastructure 

23 projects in rural communities will total almost 

24 $190,000,000,000 in the coming decades; 


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1 (12) small water systems reaching fewer than 

2 3,300 people serve only 8 percent of the population 

3 of the United States, but account for nearly 83 per4 cent of reported funding needs; 

5 (13) Federal funding of water infrastructure 

6 was 63 percent of total capital spending in 1977, 

7 and was down to 9 percent in 2014; 

8 (14) nearly 1 in 3 rural residents lack access to 

9 basic broadband; 

10 (15) every dollar spent on infrastructure gen11 erates up to $2.50; 

12 (16) Federal, State, and local governments 

13 combined spent $440,500,000,000 on infrastructure 

14 in 2017, with less than 25 percent of that amount 

15 provided by the Federal Government; 

16 (17) fewer multidisciplinary Federal agency 

17 field staff has reduced the capacity of rural commu18 nities to navigate complex infrastructure projects; 

19 (18) lack of adequate infrastructure adversely 

20 impacts the efforts of rural communities to create 

21 jobs, stimulate economic growth, and diversify their 

22 economies; and 

23 (19) it is therefore in the national economic in24 terest to assist rural communities in addressing their 

25 infrastructure needs. 


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1 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

3 (1) INFRASTRUCTURE.—The term ‘‘infrastruc4 ture’’ means infrastructure for renewable or conven5 tional energy production, electricity transmission, 

6 surface transportation, aviation, a port or waterway, 

7 a water resource project, drinking water or waste8 water treatment, broadband, a pipeline, an elemen9 tary school or secondary school (as defined in section 

10 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 

11 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)), and an institution 

12 of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the 

13 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)). 

14 (2) RURAL.—The term ‘‘rural’’ means any area 

15 located outside— 

16 (A) an urbanized area, as determined by 

17 the latest available decennial census conducted 

18 under section 141(a) of title 13, United States 

19 Code; and 

20 (B) a community or town that has a popu21 lation equal to or greater than 20,000 inhab22 itants. 

23 (3) RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT.—The 

24 term ‘‘rural infrastructure project’’ means a project 

25 for infrastructure in a rural area. 


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1 TITLE I—DEPARTMENT OF 

2 AGRICULTURE 

3 SEC. 101. RURAL PARTNERSHIPS OFFICE. 

4 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Subtitle C of the Department 

5 of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6941 

6 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘SEC. 237. RURAL PARTNERSHIPS OFFICE. 

8 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall estab9 lish within the Department the Rural Partnerships Office. 

10 ‘‘(b) DIRECTOR.—The Rural Partnerships Office 

11 shall be headed by a Director, who shall be appointed by 

12 the President. 

13 ‘‘(c) FUNCTIONS.—The Secretary, acting through the 

14 Director of the Rural Partnerships Office, shall carry 

15 out— 

16 ‘‘(1) subtitle I of the Consolidated Farm and 

17 Rural Development Act; and 

18 ‘‘(2) such other technical assistance relating to 

19 rural infrastructure projects (as defined in section 3 

20 of the Reforming, Expanding, and Simplifying In21 vestment for Local Infrastructure to Enhance our 

22 Neighborhoods and Towns Act) as the Secretary de23 termines to be appropriate.’’. 

24 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 296(b) of 

25 the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 


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1 1994 (7 U.S.C. 7014(b)) is amended by adding at the end 

2 the following: 

3 ‘‘(11) The authority of the Secretary to carry 

4 out the amendments made to this title by the Re5 forming, Expanding, and Simplifying Investment for 

6 Local Infrastructure to Enhance our Neighborhoods 

7 and Towns Act.’’. 

8 SEC. 102. RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERSHIPS. 

9 The Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act 

10 is amended by inserting after subtitle H (7 U.S.C. 2009cc 

11 et seq.) the following: 

12 ‘‘Subtitle I—Rural Infrastructure 

13 Partnerships 

14 ‘‘SEC. 385A. DEFINITIONS. 

15 ‘‘In this subtitle: 

16 ‘‘(1) INFRASTRUCTURE.—The term ‘infrastruc17 ture’ has the meaning given the term in section 3 of 

18 the Reforming, Expanding, and Simplifying Invest19 ment for Local Infrastructure to Enhance our 

20 Neighborhoods and Towns Act. 

21 ‘‘(2) RURAL.—The term ‘rural’ has the mean22 ing given the term in section 3 of the Reforming, 

23 Expanding, and Simplifying Investment for Local 

24 Infrastructure to Enhance our Neighborhoods and 

25 Towns Act. 


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1 ‘‘(3) RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT.—The 

2 term ‘rural infrastructure project’ has the meaning 

3 given the term in section 3 of the Reforming, Ex4 panding, and Simplifying Investment for Local In5 frastructure to Enhance our Neighborhoods and 

6 Towns Act. 

7 ‘‘(4) RURAL LIAISON.—The term ‘Rural Liai8 son’ means a Rural Liaison designated under section 

9 201(b)(1) of the Reforming, Expanding, and Simpli10 fying Investment for Local Infrastructure to En11 hance our Neighborhoods and Towns Act. 

12 ‘‘(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means 

13 the Secretary, acting through the Director of the 

14 Rural Partnerships Office. 

15 ‘‘SEC. 385B. RURAL PARTNERS PROGRAM. 

16 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall estab17 lish a Rural Partners Program (referred to in this section 

18 as the ‘Program’) to provide technical assistance to im19 prove the delivery, financing, operations, and maintenance 

20 of rural infrastructure projects. 

21 ‘‘(b) COORDINATION.—In carrying out the Program, 

22 the Secretary shall coordinate with— 

23 ‘‘(1) technical assistance programs of the De24 partment of Agriculture and the Environmental Pro25 tection Agency; 


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1 ‘‘(2) the Capacity Building for Affordable 

2 Housing and Community Development Program au3 thorized under section 4 of the HUD Demonstration 

4 Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 9816 note; Public Law 103– 

5 120); 

6 ‘‘(3) the rural and Tribal passenger transpor7 tation technical assistance program established 

8 under section 310B(c)(3)(B)(iv); and 

9 ‘‘(4) any other technical assistance programs 

10 that may impact rural infrastructure projects, in11 cluding programs operated by States. 

12 ‘‘(c) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDERS.— 

13 ‘‘(1) SELECTION.—The Secretary shall select, 

14 through a competitive process, not more than 5 or15 ganizations to provide to rural communities technical 

16 assistance under this section. 

17 ‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—To be eligible for selec18 tion under paragraph (1), an organization shall— 

19 ‘‘(A) provide technical assistance nation20 ally; and 

21 ‘‘(B) have the experience and capacity to 

22 provide technical assistance in each State, the 

23 Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the United 

24 States Virgin Islands. 

25 ‘‘(d) APPLICATIONS.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) INITIAL PROPOSAL.—To be eligible to re2 ceive technical assistance under this section, a rural 

3 community (including a rural passenger transpor4 tation agency) shall submit to the Secretary an ini5 tial proposal containing a basic statement of— 

6 ‘‘(A) a description of the technical assist7 ance under subsection (e) being requested; and 

8 ‘‘(B) how the technical assistance would 

9 improve rural infrastructure in the rural com10 munity. 

11 ‘‘(2) APPLICATION ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary 

12 shall coordinate with State offices of the rural devel13 opment mission area to identify a point of contact 

14 who shall assist the rural community with the re15 mainder of the application process. 

16 ‘‘(3) REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary— 

17 ‘‘(A) shall not require the initial proposal 

18 under paragraph (1) to contain any information 

19 not required under that paragraph; and 

20 ‘‘(B) shall determine the requirements for 

21 the remainder of the application process. 

22 ‘‘(4) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall con23 sult with the Rural Liaison for any relevant Federal 

24 agencies in reviewing applications under this sub25 section. 


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1 ‘‘(e) ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.—A technical assistance 

2 provider selected under subsection (c) may provide to a 

3 rural community the application of which is approved 

4 under subsection (d) technical assistance with— 

5 ‘‘(1) infrastructure project planning; 

6 ‘‘(2) asset management; 

7 ‘‘(3) life-cycle accounting; 

8 ‘‘(4) project delivery; 

9 ‘‘(5) funding and financing; 

10 ‘‘(6) regional coordination; 

11 ‘‘(7) project affordability; 

12 ‘‘(8) broadband predevelopment work; and 

13 ‘‘(9) project oversight. 

14 ‘‘(f) DURATION.—The Secretary shall assign a tech15 nical assistance provider selected under subsection (c) to 

16 a rural community the application of which is approved 

17 under subsection (d) for a period that is not longer than 

18 2 years. 

19 ‘‘(g) ONSITE PRESENCE REQUIRED.—Personnel of a 

20 technical assistance provider shall be onsite in the rural 

21 community for a significant portion of the period under 

22 subsection (f), as determined by the Secretary. 

23 ‘‘(h) REPORTS.—A technical assistance provider shall 

24 submit to the Secretary and the Rural Liaison for any 

25 relevant Federal agencies quarterly reports describing the 


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1 status of activities in each rural community to which the 

2 provider is assigned. 

3 ‘‘SEC. 385C. RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE BEST PRACTICES 

4 CLEARINGHOUSE. 

5 ‘‘The Secretary shall establish an online clearing6 house of best practices specifically targeted to rural infra7 structure project planning, asset management, life-cycle 

8 accounting, project delivery, funding and financing, re9 gional coordination, affordability, and project oversight, 

10 including resources prepared by Federal agencies and ex11 ternal resources. 

12 ‘‘SEC. 385D. PREDEVELOPMENT SCOPING GRANT PRO13 GRAM. 

14 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a 

15 predevelopment scoping grant program (referred to in this 

16 section as the ‘program’) to provide grants to assist rural 

17 communities in developing cost-effective rural infrastruc18 ture projects, with a particular focus on regionally coordi19 nated or bundled projects. 

20 ‘‘(b) APPLICATION.—An application for a grant 

21 under the program shall— 

22 ‘‘(1) require only such documentation as is nec23 essary to demonstrate the potential for a viable 

24 project; and 


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1 ‘‘(2) be submitted by the State, local, or re2 gional governmental entity, or nonprofit entity with 

3 the ability to provide technical assistance across a 

4 State, with primary responsibility for the project. 

5 ‘‘(c) LIMITATION.—A grant under this section shall 

6 be in an amount not greater than $150,000. 

7 ‘‘SEC. 385E. RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE BUNDLING PRO8 GRAM. 

9 ‘‘(a) DEFINITION OF BUNDLED PROJECT.—In this 

10 section, the term ‘bundled project’ means 2 or more rural 

11 infrastructure projects of a local, regional, or State entity 

12 that are submitted in a single application and subject to 

13 a single procurement contract. 

14 ‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary, in coordina15 tion with the Rural Liaisons, shall establish a Rural Infra16 structure Bundling Program (referred to in this section 

17 as the ‘Program’) to improve the efficiency of rural infra18 structure projects. 

19 ‘‘(c) APPLICATIONS.— 

20 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall solicit, 

21 on a rolling basis, letters of interest from local, re22 gional, or State entities for bundled projects. 

23 ‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—A letter of interest submitted 

24 by a local, regional, or State entity under paragraph 

25 (1) shall include a description of— 


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1 ‘‘(A) a bundled project concept; 

2 ‘‘(B) likely funding sources; and 

3 ‘‘(C) such other information as is nec4 essary to determine whether the proposed 

5 project is unlikely to be completed but for as6 sistance provided by the Program. 

7 ‘‘(3) REVIEW.— 

8 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, State 

9 offices of the rural development mission area, 

10 and the Rural Liaison for any relevant Federal 

11 agencies shall review letters of interest sub12 mitted by local, regional, or State entities to de13 termine whether to approve each bundled 

14 project for assistance under the Program. 

15 ‘‘(B) CONSIDERATION.—In reviewing let16 ters of interest under subparagraph (A), the in17 dividuals and entities described in that subpara18 graph shall consider whether the proposed 

19 project is unlikely to be completed but for as20 sistance provided by the Program. 

21 ‘‘(d) PROGRAM ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary, in co22 ordination with the Rural Liaisons, shall provide to a 

23 local, regional, or State entity that is approved for assist24 ance under the Program— 


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1 ‘‘(1) technical assistance with the development 

2 of a bundled project, including assistance with iden3 tifying appropriate financing; and 

4 ‘‘(2) a grant to support project development 

5 and ongoing project management. 

6 ‘‘(e) COST THRESHOLDS.— 

7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of the pro8 grams and laws described in paragraph (2), each 

9 rural infrastructure project that is included in a 

10 bundled project that is approved for assistance 

11 under the Program shall be considered a separate 

12 rural infrastructure project. 

13 ‘‘(2) PROGRAMS AND LAWS DESCRIBED.—The 

14 programs and laws referred to in paragraph (1) 

15 are— 

16 ‘‘(A) water or waste disposal grants or di17 rect or guaranteed loans under paragraph (1) 

18 or (2) of section 306(a); 

19 ‘‘(B) rural water or wastewater technical 

20 assistance and training grants under section 

21 306(a)(14); 

22 ‘‘(C) emergency community water assist23 ance grants under section 306A; 

24 ‘‘(D) paragraphs (2)(C) and (5)(C) of sec25 tion 603(b) of title 23, United States Code; 


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1 ‘‘(E) paragraphs (2)(B) and (5)(C) of sec2 tion 5029(b) of the Water Infrastructure Fi3 nance and Innovation Act of 2014 (33 U.S.C. 

4 3908(b)); 

5 ‘‘(F) the program for national infrastruc6 ture investments (commonly known as the ‘Bet7 ter Utilizing Investments to Leverage Develop8 ment (BUILD) discretionary grant program’) 

9 authorized under title I of division L of the 

10 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public 

11 Law 115–141) or a subsequent appropriations 

12 Act; and 

13 ‘‘(G) a categorical exclusion under the Na14 tional Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 

15 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). 

16 ‘‘(f) VOLUME CAP FOR PRIVATE ACTIVITY BONDS.— 

17 A bundled project that is approved for assistance under 

18 the Program shall be exempt from the volume cap for pri19 vate activity bonds under section 146(d) of the Internal 

20 Revenue Code of 1986. 

21 ‘‘(g) ELIGIBILITY FOR RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE FI22 NANCING FLEXIBILITY.—Except as provided in subsection 

23 (e), a bundled project that is approved for assistance 

24 under the Program shall be considered to be— 


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1 ‘‘(1) a rural infrastructure project for purposes 

2 of the TIFIA program (as those terms are defined 

3 in section 601(a) of title 23, United States Code); 

4 and 

5 ‘‘(2) a rural project for purposes of the Water 

6 Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014 

7 (33 U.S.C. 3901 et seq.). 

8 ‘‘(h) FEDERAL PERMITTING DASHBOARD.—A bun9 dled project that is approved for assistance under the Pro10 gram shall be considered to be a covered project under 

11 title XLI of the FAST Act (42 U.S.C. 4370m et seq.). 

12 ‘‘SEC. 385F. REPORTS. 

13 ‘‘The Secretary shall publish on the website of the 

14 Rural Partnerships Office an annual report describing the 

15 activities of the Office, including— 

16 ‘‘(1) the status of projects funded with grants 

17 provided by the Office; 

18 ‘‘(2) activities conducted under the Rural Part19 ners Program under section 385B; 

20 ‘‘(3) private sector investment leveraged by 

21 those projects and activities; and 

22 ‘‘(4) the activities of the Rural Infrastructure 

23 Bundling Program under section 385E.’’. 


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1 SEC. 103. RURAL ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOP2 MENT. 

3 Section 306(a)(19) of the Consolidated Farm and 

4 Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(19)) is amend5 ed— 

6 (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘nonprofit 

7 corporations,’’ and all that follows through ‘‘feder8 ally recognized’’ and inserting ‘‘nonprofit corpora9 tions, rural passenger transportation facilities, In10 dian tribes (as defined in section 4 of the Indian 

11 Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act 

12 (25 U.S.C. 5304)), and federally recognized’’; and 

13 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

14 ‘‘(C) PRIORITY FOR CO-LOCATED FACILI15 TIES.—In evaluating applications for grants 

16 under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall 

17 give priority to a project that co-locates social 

18 services facilities or employment centers with 

19 passenger transportation facilities.’’. 

20 SEC. 104. SIMPLIFICATION OF APPLICATION PROCESS. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the 

22 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture 

23 shall consider ways to simplify and streamline the applica24 tion processes for programs of the Department of Agri25 culture that provide loans, grants, or other financing for 

26 rural infrastructure, including by— 


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1 (1) issuing a notice in the Federal Register re2 questing public comment on ways to simplify and 

3 streamline those application processes; and 

4 (2) evaluating the application processes of other 

5 Federal agencies, such as the Economic Develop6 ment Administration. 

7 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

8 on which the period for public comment under subsection 

9 (a)(1) ends, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to 

10 Congress a report describing the actions carried out, if 

11 any, to simplify and streamline the application processes 

12 referred to in subsection (a). 

13 TITLE II—INTERAGENCY 

14 COORDINATION 

15 SEC. 201. RURAL LIAISONS. 

16 (a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to es17 tablish Rural Liaisons to improve coordination and proc18 esses across Federal rural programs. 

19 (b) DESIGNATION.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—Each Federal agency de21 scribed in paragraph (2) shall designate a Rural Li22 aison within the office of the head of the Federal 

23 agency. 

24 (2) FEDERAL AGENCIES.—The Federal agen25 cies referred to in paragraph (1) are— 


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1 (A) the Department of Transportation; 

2 (B) the Department of Agriculture; 

3 (C) the Department of Housing and Urban 

4 Development; 

5 (D) the Small Business Administration; 

6 (E) the Department of Education; 

7 (F) the Department of Health and Human 

8 Services; 

9 (G) the Department of Commerce; 

10 (H) the Environmental Protection Agency; 

11 (I) the Corps of Engineers; 

12 (J) the Department of the Interior; and 

13 (K) any other Federal agency that provides 

14 financial assistance, including grants and credit 

15 assistance, to rural communities for activities 

16 related to rural infrastructure, as determined 

17 by the Secretary of Agriculture. 

18 (c) RESPONSIBILITIES.—A Rural Liaison designated 

19 under subsection (b)(1) shall— 

20 (1)(A) review regulations, guidance, and proce21 dures of the agency of the Rural Liaison; 

22 (B) identify any of those regulations, guidance, 

23 or procedures that present a hardship for rural com24 munities; and 


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1 (C) recommend ways to streamline those regu2 lations, guidance, and procedures; 

3 (2) serve as ombudsperson for rural commu4 nities working with the agency of the Rural Liaison 

5 to help address issues and resolve problems; 

6 (3) meet regularly with Rural Liaisons of other 

7 Federal agencies to coordinate efforts and identify 

8 ways to coordinate to support rural infrastructure 

9 needs; and 

10 (4)(A) advise the head of the agency of the 

11 Rural Liaison about rural issues; and 

12 (B) provide feedback to that head of the agency 

13 on the rural impacts of potential activities of the 

14 agency. 

15 SEC. 202. INTERAGENCY RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE TASK 

16 FORCE. 

17 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce shall 

18 establish a task force (referred to in this section as the 

19 ‘‘task force’’) to examine ways to coordinate rural infra20 structure programs and requirements across the Federal 

21 Government that support rural infrastructure development 

22 in order— 

23 (1) to maximize efficiency; 

24 (2) to leverage interagency resources; and 

25 (3) to simplify processes for rural applicants. 


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1 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

2 (1) FEDERAL MEMBERS.— 

3 (A) IN GENERAL.—Each individual listed 

4 in subparagraph (C) shall designate a member 

5 of the agency in which the individual serves to 

6 serve on the task force. 

7 (B) QUALIFICATIONS.—A member of the 

8 task force designated under subparagraph (A) 

9 shall hold a position in the agency of deputy 

10 secretary (or the equivalent) or higher. 

11 (C) HEADS OF AGENCIES.—The individ12 uals that shall each designate a member of the 

13 task force under subparagraph (A) are the fol14 lowing: 

15 (i) The Secretary of Commerce. 

16 (ii) The Secretary of Agriculture. 

17 (iii) The Secretary of the Interior. 

18 (iv) The Secretary of Transportation. 

19 (v) The Secretary of Education. 

20 (vi) The Secretary of Energy. 

21 (vii) The Secretary of Health and 

22 Human Services. 

23 (viii) The Administrator of the Envi24 ronmental Protection Agency. 


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1 (ix) The Chairman of the Federal 

2 Communications Commission. 

3 (x) The Administrator of the Small 

4 Business Administration. 

5 (2) STATE MEMBERS.—The Secretary of Com6 merce shall appoint to the task force not less than 

7 2 representatives of State rural development coun8 cils, based on— 

9 (A) the expertise of the representative in 

10 Federal infrastructure procedures; and 

11 (B) geographic diversity. 

12 (c) DUTIES.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—The task force shall— 

14 (A) examine ways to coordinate Federal 

15 programs and Federal program requirements 

16 that support rural infrastructure projects, in17 cluding by developing a proposed standardized 

18 application; 

19 (B) develop, to the extent practicable, com20 mon guidelines that may be used for rural 

21 funding or financing programs across Federal 

22 agencies; 

23 (C) identify opportunities to carry out ac24 tivities across Federal agencies to support rural 

25 infrastructure needs; and 


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1 (D) provide rural communities guidance 

2 on— 

3 (i) projects that would be likely to re4 ceive Federal assistance; and 

5 (ii) the application process for those 

6 projects. 

7 (2) PUBLIC INPUT.—In carrying out the duties 

8 of the task force under paragraph (1)(A), the task 

9 force shall— 

10 (A) solicit input from employees of Federal 

11 agencies in field offices and regional offices; 

12 and 

13 (B) provide an opportunity for public com14 ment. 

15 (d) REPORT.—Not less frequently than annually, the 

16 task force shall submit to Congress a report on the activi17 ties of the task force, including— 

18 (1) specific metrics of performance developed by 

19 the task force for rural infrastructure investment 

20 and development; and 

21 (2) the progress of the task force toward those 

22 metrics of performance. 


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1 TITLE III—OTHER 

2 DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES 

3 SEC. 301. RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING FLEXI4 BILITY. 

5 (a) TIFIA PROGRAM.—Section 603(b) of title 23, 

6 United States Code, is amended— 

7 (1) in paragraph (2)— 

8 (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘sub9 paragraph (B)’’ and inserting ‘‘subparagraphs 

10 (B) and (C)’’; and 

11 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

12 ‘‘(C) RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

13 PROJECTS.—In the case of a rural infrastruc14 ture project, the amount of a secured loan 

15 under this section shall not exceed the lesser 

16 of— 

17 ‘‘(i) an amount equal to 67 percent of 

18 the reasonably anticipated eligible project 

19 costs; and 

20 ‘‘(ii) if the secured loan does not re21 ceive an investment-grade rating, the 

22 amount of the senior project obligations of 

23 the project.’’; and 

24 (2) in paragraph (5)— 


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1 (A) in subparagraph (A), in the matter 

2 preceding clause (i), by striking ‘‘subparagraph 

3 (B)’’ and inserting ‘‘subparagraphs (B) and 

4 (C)’’; and 

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

6 ‘‘(C) RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

7 PROJECTS.—In the case of a rural infrastruc8 ture project, the final maturity date of the se9 cured loan shall be the earlier of— 

10 ‘‘(i) 40 years after the date of sub11 stantial completion of the rural infrastruc12 ture project; and 

13 ‘‘(ii) if the useful life of the rural in14 frastructure project is less than 40 years, 

15 the useful life of the rural infrastructure 

16 project.’’. 

17 (b) WIFIA.— 

18 (1) DEFINITIONS.—Section 5022 of the Water 

19 Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014 

20 (33 U.S.C. 3901) is amended— 

21 (A) by redesignating paragraphs (10) 

22 through (15) as paragraphs (11) through (16), 

23 respectively; and 

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

25 following: 


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1 ‘‘(10) RURAL PROJECT.—The term ‘rural 

2 project’ means a project receiving financial assist3 ance under this subtitle in an area that is rural (as 

4 defined in section 3 of the Reforming, Expanding, 

5 and Simplifying Investment for Local Infrastructure 

6 to Enhance our Neighborhoods and Towns Act).’’. 

7 (2) TERMS AND LIMITATIONS.—Section 

8 5029(b) of the Water Infrastructure Finance and 

9 Innovation Act of 2014 (33 U.S.C. 3908(b)) is 

10 amended— 

11 (A) in paragraph (2)— 

12 (i) by redesignating subparagraphs 

13 (A) and (B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respec14 tively, and indenting appropriately; 

15 (ii) in the matter preceding clause (i) 

16 (as so redesignated), by striking ‘‘The 

17 amount’’ and inserting the following: 

18 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

19 subparagraph (B), the amount’’; and 

20 (iii) by adding at the end the fol21 lowing: 

22 ‘‘(B) RURAL PROJECTS.—In the case of a 

23 rural project, the amount of a secured loan 

24 under this section shall not exceed the lesser 

25 of— 


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1 ‘‘(i) an amount equal to 67 percent of 

2 the reasonably anticipated eligible project 

3 costs; and 

4 ‘‘(ii) if the secured loan does not re5 ceive an investment-grade rating, the 

6 amount of the senior project obligations of 

7 the project.’’; 

8 (B) in paragraph (5)— 

9 (i) in subparagraph (A), in the matter 

10 preceding clause (i), by striking ‘‘The 

11 final’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as provided in 

12 subparagraphs (B) and (C), the final’’; and 

13 (ii) by adding at the end the fol14 lowing: 

15 ‘‘(C) SPECIAL RULE FOR RURAL

16 PROJECTS.—In the case of a rural project, the 

17 final maturity date of a secured loan under this 

18 section shall be the earlier of— 

19 ‘‘(i) the date that is 40 years after the 

20 date of substantial completion of the rel21 evant project (as determined by the Sec22 retary or the Administrator, as applicable); 

23 and 

24 ‘‘(ii) if the useful life of the project 

25 (as determined by the Secretary or AdminVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:54 Aug 12, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4336.IS S4336

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1 istrator, as applicable) is less than 40 

2 years, the useful life the project.’’; and 

3 (C) in paragraph (7)— 

4 (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 

5 ‘‘subparagraph (B)’’ and inserting ‘‘sub6 paragraphs (B) and (C)’’; and 

7 (ii) by adding at the end the fol8 lowing: 

9 ‘‘(C) WAIVER.—On request of an eligible 

10 entity, the Secretary or the Administrator, as 

11 applicable, may waive the application fee for— 

12 ‘‘(i) a small community water infra13 structure project described in section 

14 5028(a)(2)(B); and 

15 ‘‘(ii) a rural project.’’. 

16 (3) OUTREACH AND STRATEGY DEVELOP17 MENT.— 

18 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Water Infrastruc19 ture Finance and Innovation Act of 2014 (33 

20 U.S.C. 3901 et seq.) is amended by adding at 

21 the end the following: 

22 ‘‘SEC. 5036. OUTREACH AND COORDINATION. 

23 ‘‘(a) OUTREACH.—Not later than 180 days after the 

24 date of enactment of this section, the Administrator, in 

25 coordination with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall deVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:54 Aug 12, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4336.IS S4336

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1 velop an outreach campaign to promote financial assist2 ance under this subtitle to small communities described 

3 in section 5028(a)(2)(B) and communities in areas that 

4 are rural (as defined in section 3 of the Reforming, Ex5 panding, and Simplifying Investment for Local Infrastruc6 ture to Enhance our Neighborhoods and Towns Act). 

7 ‘‘(b) COORDINATED FUNDING STRATEGY.— 

8 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

9 after the date of enactment of this section, the Ad10 ministrator, in coordination with the Secretary of 

11 Agriculture, shall develop a coordinated strategy to 

12 ensure that, to the maximum extent practicable, fi13 nancial assistance under this subtitle complements 

14 rural development assistance provided by the Sec15 retary of Agriculture. 

16 ‘‘(2) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 

17 date of enactment of this section, the Administrator 

18 and the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to 

19 Congress a report that includes— 

20 ‘‘(A) a description of the coordinated strat21 egy developed under paragraph (1); 

22 ‘‘(B) a description of any steps taken to 

23 implement that coordinated strategy; and 

24 ‘‘(C) any recommendations for legislative 

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1 tween this subtitle and rural development as2 sistance provided by the Secretary of Agri3 culture.’’. 

4 (B) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of 

5 contents for the Water Resources Reform and 

6 Development Act of 2014 (Public Law 113– 

7 121; 128 Stat. 1195) is amended— 

8 (i) by striking the item relating to sec9 tion 5034 and inserting the following: 

‘‘Sec. 5034. Reports on program implementation.’’; 

10 and 

11 (ii) by inserting after the item relating 

12 to section 5035 the following: 

‘‘Sec. 5036. Outreach and coordination.’’. 

13 SEC. 302. DRINKING WATER AND WASTEWATER INFRA14 STRUCTURE. 

15 (a) FEDERAL WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ACT.— 

16 Section 603 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 

17 (33 U.S.C. 1383) is amended— 

18 (1) in subsection (c)— 

19 (A) in paragraph (11)(B), by striking 

20 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

21 (B) in paragraph (12)— 

22 (i) in the matter preceding subpara23 graph (A), by striking ‘‘(j)’’ and inserting 

24 ‘‘(l)’’; and 


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1 (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 

2 the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 

3 and’’; and 

4 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

5 ‘‘(13) to expand publicly owned treatment 

6 works to meet demand due to expected population 

7 growth.’’; 

8 (2) in subsection (d)— 

9 (A) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ‘‘the 

10 lesser of 30 years and the projected’’ and in11 serting ‘‘the intended’’; 

12 (B) by redesignating paragraphs (6) and 

13 (7) as paragraphs (7) and (8), respectively; and 

14 (C) by inserting after paragraph (5) the 

15 following: 

16 ‘‘(6) to provide technical assistance to waste17 water utilities, except that not more than 2 percent 

18 of the funds annually allotted to the State under 

19 section 604 may be used to provide that technical 

20 assistance.’’; 

21 (3) by redesignating subsection (j) as sub22 section (l); and 

23 (4) by inserting after subsection (i) the fol24 lowing: 


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1 ‘‘(j) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR DISADVANTAGED

2 COMMUNITIES.— 

3 ‘‘(1) DEFINITION OF DISADVANTAGED COMMU4 NITY.—In this subsection, the term ‘disadvantaged 

5 community’ means the service area of a publicly 

6 owned treatment works that serves a population of 

7 fewer than 10,000 individuals. 

8 ‘‘(2) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—A State may, 

9 to provide regional coordinators for 1 or more dis10 advantaged communities, use any funds— 

11 ‘‘(A) set aside in the State water pollution 

12 control revolving fund of the State for technical 

13 assistance under subsection (d)(6); or 

14 ‘‘(B) provided to the State through a grant 

15 for technical assistance under section 104. 

16 ‘‘(k) INNOVATIVE MANAGEMENT, PROCUREMENT, 

17 AND OWNERSHIP.—In determining whether to provide as18 sistance to a project from the water pollution control re19 volving fund of the State, a State may consider whether 

20 the project would employ innovative management, pro21 curement, or ownership arrangements.’’. 

22 (b) SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT.— 

23 (1) ENVIRONMENTAL FINANCE CENTERS REAU24 THORIZATION.—Section 1420(g)(4) of the Safe 

25 Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300g–9(g)(4)) is 


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1 amended by striking ‘‘the fiscal years 1997 through 

2 2003’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal years 2021 through 

3 2031’’. 

4 (2) STATE REVOLVING LOAN FUNDS.—Section 

5 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 

6 300j–12) is amended— 

7 (A) in subsection (a)(2)— 

8 (i) in subparagraph (G)(ii)(I)(aa), by 

9 striking ‘‘subsection (d)(3)’’ and inserting 

10 ‘‘subsection (d)(1)’’; and 

11 (ii) by adding at the end the fol12 lowing: 

13 ‘‘(H) FUTURE GROWTH.—Funds made 

14 available under this section may be used to as15 sist a public water system in expanding the 

16 public water system to meet demand due to ex17 pected population growth.’’; 

18 (B) in subsection (b)(3)— 

19 (i) in subparagraph (A)— 

20 (I) in clause (ii), by striking 

21 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

22 (II) in clause (iii), by striking the 

23 period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 

24 and’’; and 


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1 (III) by adding at the end the 

2 following: 

3 ‘‘(iv) facilitate regional system part4 nerships.’’; and 

5 (ii) by adding at the end the fol6 lowing: 

7 ‘‘(C) INNOVATIVE MANAGEMENT, PRO8 CUREMENT, AND OWNERSHIP.—In establishing 

9 criteria for the distribution of funds from the 

10 State loan fund, a State may include in those 

11 criteria whether a project would develop, em12 ploy, or establish innovative management, pro13 curement, or ownership arrangements.’’; 

14 (C) in subsection (d)— 

15 (i) in paragraph (2), by striking 

16 ‘‘paragraph (1)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph 

17 (2)’’; 

18 (ii) by redesignating paragraphs (1), 

19 (2), and (3) as paragraphs (2), (3), and 

20 (1), respectively, and reordering those 

21 paragraphs so as to appear in numerical 

22 order; and 

23 (iii) by adding at the end the fol24 lowing: 


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1 ‘‘(4) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—A State may 

2 use any funds set aside in the State loan fund of the 

3 State for technical assistance to provide regional co4 ordinators for 1 or more disadvantaged commu5 nities.’’; and 

6 (D) in subsection (f)(1), by striking sub7 paragraph (C) and inserting the following: 

8 ‘‘(C) each loan shall have a term not to ex9 ceed the intended design life of the project;’’. 

10 (3) SYSTEM PARTNERSHIP GRANTS.—The Safe 

11 Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f et seq.) is 

12 amended by adding after part F the following: 

13 ‘‘PART G—ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS 

14 ‘‘SEC. 1471. SYSTEM PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM. 

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

16 ‘‘(1) SYSTEM IN SIGNIFICANT NONCOMPLI17 ANCE.—The term ‘system in significant noncompli18 ance’ means— 

19 ‘‘(A) a water system that is significantly 

20 noncompliant with regulations with respect to 

21 drinking water standards under this title; or 

22 ‘‘(B) a treatment works that is in signifi23 cant noncompliance with regulations with re24 spect to effluent limitations under title III of 


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1 the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 

2 U.S.C. 1311 et seq.). 

3 ‘‘(2) TREATMENT WORKS.—The term ‘treat4 ment works’ has the meaning given the term in sec5 tion 212 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 

6 (33 U.S.C. 1292). 

7 ‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator may, to 

8 bring a system in significant noncompliance into compli9 ance with this title and with effluent limitations under title 

10 III of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 

11 1311 et seq.), as applicable, authorize the system in sig12 nificant noncompliance to be incorporated into— 

13 ‘‘(1) a community water system; 

14 ‘‘(2) a noncommunity water system; 

15 ‘‘(3) the system operated by an operator of 

16 multiple public water systems; or 

17 ‘‘(4) the system operated by an operator of 

18 multiple treatment works. 

19 ‘‘(c) GRANTS.— 

20 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator may 

21 provide grants to— 

22 ‘‘(A) a system described in paragraph (1), 

23 (2), (3), or (4) of subsection (b) that seeks to 

24 incorporate a separate system in significant 


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1 noncompliance under that subsection to provide 

2 assistance in seeking that incorporation; and 

3 ‘‘(B) a system in significant noncompliance 

4 that seeks to be incorporated into a water sys5 tem described in paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4) 

6 of subsection (b). 

7 ‘‘(2) AMOUNTS.—A grant under paragraph (1) 

8 shall be not more than $1,000,000. 

9 ‘‘(d) GRACE PERIOD.— 

10 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 

11 provision of this title or title III of the Federal 

12 Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1311 et 

13 seq.) and subject to paragraph (2), the Adminis14 trator may, to allow time to bring a system in sig15 nificant noncompliance into compliance with this 

16 title or title III of the Federal Water Pollution Con17 trol Act (33 U.S.C. 1311 et seq.), as applicable, sus18 pend financial penalties for noncompliance with this 

19 title or title III of the Federal Water Pollution Con20 trol Act (33 U.S.C. 1311 et seq.), as applicable, 

21 for— 

22 ‘‘(A) a system in significant noncompli23 ance; and 


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1 ‘‘(B) a system described in paragraph (1), 

2 (2), (3), or (4) of subsection (b) that has incor3 porated a system in significant noncompliance. 

4 ‘‘(2) TERM.— 

5 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

6 subparagraph (B), the Administrator may sus7 pend the penalties described in paragraph (1) 

8 for a period of not more than 180 days. 

9 ‘‘(B) EXTENSION.—The Administrator 

10 may, at the discretion of the Administrator, ex11 tend the period described in subparagraph (A) 

12 after a period during which the Administrator 

13 provides notice of the proposed extension and 

14 an opportunity for public comment. 

15 ‘‘(3) REGULATIONS.—The Administrator shall, 

16 after providing notice and an opportunity for public 

17 comment, promulgate regulations to carry out para18 graph (1).’’. 

19 (4) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

20 (A) Section 1459A(c)(2)(A) of the Safe 

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

22 19a(c)(2)(A)) is amended in the matter pre23 ceding clause (i) by striking ‘‘1452(d)(3)’’ and 

24 inserting ‘‘1452(d)(1)’’. 


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1 (B) Section 1459B of the Safe Drinking 

2 Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–19b) is amended by 

3 striking ‘‘1452(d)(3)’’ each place it appears and 

4 inserting ‘‘1452(d)(1)’’. 

5 (c) AUDITS AND STUDIES.— 

6 (1) BARRIERS TO DRINKING WATER AND CLEAN

7 WATER SYSTEM REGIONALIZATION.— 

8 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of 

9 the Environmental Protection Agency (referred 

10 to in this subsection as the ‘‘Administrator’’), 

11 in consultation with the Secretary of Agri12 culture, shall conduct an audit with respect to 

13 the barriers to drinking water and wastewater 

14 system regionalization. 

15 (B) INCLUSIONS.—In conducting the audit 

16 under subparagraph (A), the Administrator 

17 shall focus on— 

18 (i) regulatory impediments to— 

19 (I) merging system operations; 

20 (II) issuing multi-system or co21 ordinated project procurements; 

22 (III) accessing Federal funding 

23 and financing; and 

24 (IV) forgiving or consolidating 

25 outstanding debt; and 


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1 (ii) the alignment and coordination of 

2 regionalized technical assistance and guid3 ance among Federal agencies and con4 tracted technical assistance partners and 

5 providers. 

6 (C) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after 

7 the date of enactment of this Act, the Adminis8 trator shall submit to Congress a report that— 

9 (i) describes the results of the audit 

10 under subparagraph (A); and 

11 (ii) includes legislative and regulatory 

12 recommendations necessary to better facili13 tate drinking water and clean water system 

14 partnerships in rural areas. 

15 (2) COOPERATIVE PROCUREMENT STUDY.— 

16 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller Gen17 eral of the United States shall conduct, and 

18 submit to Congress a report describing the re19 sults of, a study with respect to the use of coop20 erative or joint procurement among water and 

21 wastewater systems in rural areas. 

22 (B) INCLUSIONS.—The study under sub23 paragraph (A) shall include— 


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1 (i) the extent to which rural water 

2 and wastewater systems are currently con3 ducting joint or cooperative procurements; 

4 (ii) the costs and benefits of using a 

5 cooperative or joint procurement approach 

6 in rural areas; 

7 (iii) the barriers to water and waste8 water systems in rural areas in using coop9 erative or joint procurements; and 

10 (iv) recommendations with respect to 

11 ways that the Federal Government can en12 courage greater use of cooperative and 

13 joint procurements among water and 

14 wastewater systems in rural areas. 

15 (3) CROSS-CUTTING FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS

16 STUDY.—Not later than 1 year after the date of en17 actment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit 

18 to the relevant committees of Congress a report de19 scribing potential legislative and regulatory options 

20 for minimizing the costs related to cross-cutting 

21 Federal requirements (such as the requirements 

22 under section 608 of the Federal Water Pollution 

23 Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1388), section 1452(a)(4) of 

24 the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j– 


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1 12(a)(4)), and similar requirements) in projects in 

2 rural areas that use funds from— 

3 (A) a State water pollution control revolv4 ing fund established under title VI of the Fed5 eral Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 

6 1381 et seq.); or 

7 (B) a State drinking water treatment re8 volving loan fund established under section 

9 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 

10 U.S.C. 300j–12). 

11 SEC. 303. SOLICITATION OF PUBLIC COMMENT ON CON12 DUCTING WATER AUDITS WITH REAC INSPEC13 TIONS. 

14 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Housing and 

15 Urban Development, in coordination with each State hous16 ing finance agency that participates in the Interagency 

17 Physical Inspection Alignment Initiative, shall solicit pub18 lic comment on the costs and benefits of conducting water 

19 audits in conjunction with inspections of multifamily prop20 erties by the Real Estate Assessment Center. 

21 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

22 on which the period for public comment under subsection 

23 (a) ends, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Develop24 ment and each State housing finance agency described in 

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1 ing the actions carried out, if any, to conduct water audits 

2 as described in that subsection. 

3 TITLE IV—ADMINISTRATION 

4 SEC. 401. EFFECT OF DEFINITION. 

5 Nothing in the definition of the term ‘‘rural’’ in sec6 tion 3 affects any provision of law defining eligibility for 

7 any program for rural infrastructure projects in existence 

8 as of the date of enactment of this Act. 

9 SEC. 402. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

10 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 

11 as are necessary to carry out this Act and the amendments 

12 made by this Act. 

Æ 


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