II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4220 

To collect information regarding water access needs across the United States, 

to understand the impacts of the water access gap in each State and 

territory, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 1, 2024 

Mr. WYDEN (for himself, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. LUJA ́N, and Mr. HEINRICH) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works 

A BILL 

To collect information regarding water access needs across 

the United States, to understand the impacts of the 

water access gap in each State and territory, 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 ‘‘Water, Sanitation, and 

5 Hygiene Access Data Collection Act of 2024’’ or the 

6 ‘‘WASH Access Data Collection Act of 2024’’. 

7 SEC. 2. WATER AND SANITATION NEEDS WORKING GROUP. 

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) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ 

5 means any Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, na6 tion, pueblo, village, community, component band, or 

7 component reservation individually identified (includ8 ing parenthetically) in the list published most re9 cently as of the date of enactment of this Act pursu10 ant to section 104 of the Federally Recognized In11 dian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131). 

12 (3) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means— 

13 (A) each of the 50 States; 

14 (B) the District of Columbia; and 

15 (C) any territory of the United States. 

16 (4) WORKING GROUP.—The term ‘‘Working 

17 Group’’ means the Water and Sanitation Needs 

18 Working Group established under subsection (b). 

19 (b) ESTABLISHMENT.—For the purposes of improv20 ing water access for the people of the United States facing 

21 water insecurity, preventing significant annual economic 

22 losses, and helping the Federal Government prioritize and 

23 plan water infrastructure plans more effectively, not later 

24 than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 

25 the Administrator shall establish a working group, to be 


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1 known as the ‘‘Water and Sanitation Needs Working 

2 Group’’— 

3 (1) to work with a Federal agency or independ4 ently to carry out a survey that will estimate the 

5 number and approximate geographic distribution of 

6 households in the United States that do not have ac7 cess to drinking water infrastructure or a means for 

8 adequate wastewater treatment; and 

9 (2) on the basis of the results of the survey car10 ried out under paragraph (1), to prepare a report 

11 for Congress that estimates the cost of capital im12 provements that would be needed to ensure that all 

13 households in the United States have access to reli14 able drinking water and adequate sanitation, subject 

15 to the condition that the Working Group will not be 

16 required to collect or report personally identifiable 

17 information, but can maintain information with re18 spect to drinking water and sanitation needs based 

19 on ZIP Code or another appropriate geographic 

20 breakdown. 

21 (c) CHAIRPERSON; MEMBERSHIP.— 

22 (1) CHAIRPERSON.—The Administrator shall 

23 serve as the chairperson of the Working Group. 

24 (2) MEMBERSHIP.—The Working Group shall 

25 comprise senior representatives from such Federal 


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1 agencies as the Administrator determines to be ap2 propriate, including— 

3 (A) the Department of the Interior, includ4 ing the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bu5 reau of Reclamation; 

6 (B) the Department of Agriculture; 

7 (C) the Census Bureau; 

8 (D) the Department of Health and Human 

9 Services, including the Indian Health Service; 

10 and 

11 (E) the Department of Housing and Urban 

12 Development. 

13 (d) DUTIES.—The Working Group shall— 

14 (1) leverage the expertise of industry, the re15 search community, nongovernmental organizations, 

16 and utilities, including through the incorporation of 

17 information that could be collected by utilities, cir18 cuit riders, and technical assistance providers; 

19 (2) consult, on a regular basis, with States, 

20 units of local government, Indian Tribes, and rel21 evant Federal agencies not included in the member22 ship of the Working Group; 

23 (3) in carrying out subsection (b)— 

24 (A) seek to determine whether the decen25 nial census or another existing survey or data 


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1 collection effort carried out by the Federal Gov2 ernment presents an efficient opportunity for 

3 collecting the information described in para4 graph (1) of that subsection; 

5 (B) seek to coordinate Federal programs 

6 and policies to support the collection and use of 

7 the information described in that subsection; 

8 (C) develop a methodology for creating the 

9 cost estimate required under paragraph (2) of 

10 that subsection; and 

11 (D) oversee the collection of— 

12 (i) the information described in para13 graph (1) of that subsection; and 

14 (ii) the information necessary to cre15 ate the cost estimate required under para16 graph (2) of that subsection; and 

17 (4) establish a national, public index for pub18 lishing and linking water access data from Federal 

19 sources and State, Tribal, and other non-Federal 

20 sources that will be accessible online. 

21 (e) REPORT ON WATER AND SANITATION NEEDS.— 

22 Not less frequently than once every 5 years, the Adminis23 trator shall submit to Congress a report that describes the 

24 activities and findings of the Working Group, including— 


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1 (1) an explanation of the methodology used by 

2 the Working Group to determine drinking water and 

3 sanitation needs; 

4 (2) an estimate of the amount of funds nec5 essary to provide all households with access to reli6 able drinking water and adequate sanitation; and 

7 (3) a breakdown by State and, if feasible, con8 gressional district of— 

9 (A) drinking water and sanitation needs; 

10 and 

11 (B) the amount of funding required to ad12 dress those needs. 

13 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

14 are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator 

15 and other necessary Federal agencies to collect the infor16 mation and prepare the reports required under this sec17 tion— 

18 (1) for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029, 

19 $10,000,000; and 

20 (2) for fiscal year 2030 and each fiscal year 

21 thereafter, such sums as may be necessary. 

Æ 


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