I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1427 

To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to reauthorize technical assistance 

to small public water systems, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 7, 2011 

Mr. HARPER (for himself, Mr. MATHESON, Mr. JONES, Mr. MCKINLEY, Mr. 

NUNNELEE, Mr. PETERSON, Mr. FILNER, Mr. BLUMENAUER, and Mr. 

PALAZZO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to reauthorize technical assistance to small public water systems, 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 ‘‘Grassroots Rural and 

5 Small Community Water Systems Assistance Act of 

6 2011’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) The 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drink2 ing Water Act authorized technical assistance for 

3 small and rural communities to assist them with 

4 compliance with rules and regulations promulgated 

5 under the Act. Technical assistance and compliance 

6 training ensures that Federal regulations do not 

7 overwhelm small and rural communities’ resources. 

8 It also allows small communities lacking technical 

9 resources access to assistance necessary to improve 

10 and protect their water resources. 

11 (2) Across the States, over 90 percent of the 

12 community water systems serve a population of less 

13 than 10,000. Small communities have the greatest 

14 difficulty providing safe, affordable public drinking 

15 water and wastewater services due to limited econo16 mies of scale and less technical expertise. 

17 (3) In addition to being the main source of 

18 compliance assistance, rural water technical assist19 ance has been the main source of assistance in emer20 gency response in small and rural communities. 

21 (4) Technical assistance ensures that Federal 

22 regulations do not overwhelm small and rural com23 munities’ resources. It also allows small communities 

24 lacking technical resources access to assistance nec25 essary to improve and protect their water resources. 


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1 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

2 It is the sense of Congress that— 

3 (1) to most effectively assist small communities, 

4 the Environmental Protection Agency should 

5 prioritize the type of technical assistance that small 

6 communities find is the most beneficial; 

7 (2) it is essential for the Environmental Protec8 tion Agency to consider and prioritize the type and 

9 manner of technical assistance that has the most 

10 support of each State’s local communities; and 

11 (3) local support is the fundamental key to 

12 making the Federal funding (the Federal assistance 

13 initiatives) work in small and rural communities to 

14 the maximum benefit. 

15 SEC. 4. FUNDING PRIORITIES. 

16 Section 1442(e) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 

17 U.S.C. 300j–1(e)) is amended as follows: 

18 (1) In the fifth sentence by striking ‘‘1997 

19 through 2003’’ and inserting ‘‘2011 through 2016’’. 

20 (2) By inserting ‘‘(1)’’ immediately before the 

21 first sentence. 

22 (3) By adding at the end the following new 

23 paragraph: 

24 ‘‘(2) The Administrator may provide technical 

25 assistance, with funds under this subsection, to non26 profit organizations providing onsite technical assistVerDate Mar 15 2010 22:42 Apr 08, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1427.IH H1427

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1 ance, circuit-rider technical assistance programs, on2 site and regional training, assistance with imple3 menting source water protection plans, and assist4 ance with implementation monitoring plans, rules, 

5 regulations, and water security enhancements. To 

6 assure technical assistance funding under this sub7 section is used in a manner most beneficial to small 

8 and rural communities in each State, the Adminis9 trator shall give preference to nonprofit organiza10 tions that, as determined by the Administrator, are 

11 the most qualified, experienced, effective, and most 

12 supported by small community water systems in the 

13 States.’’. 

Æ 


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