I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1653 

To amend certain provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 21, 2017 

Mr. LATTA (for himself and Mr. MCKINLEY) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To amend certain provisions of the Safe Drinking Water 

Act, 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 ‘‘Drinking Water Af5 fordability Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT. 

7 (a) NATIONAL DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS.— 

8 Section 1412(b)(9) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 

9 U.S.C. 300g–1(b)(9)) is amended by striking the last sen10 tence and inserting ‘‘Any revision of a national primary 


lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 1653 IH

1 drinking water regulation shall be promulgated in accord2 ance with this section, including paragraphs (3) through 

3 (6) of this subsection.’’ 

4 (b) ENFORCEMENT OF DRINKING WATER REGULA5 TIONS.—Section 1414(h)(1)(C) of the Safe Drinking 

6 Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300g–3(h)(1)(C)) is amended by 

7 inserting ‘‘or management’’ after ‘‘the transfer of owner8 ship’’. 

9 (c) STATE REVOLVING LOAN FUNDS.— 

10 (1) ASSISTANCE FOR DISADVANTAGED COMMU11 NITIES.—Section 1452(d)(2) of the Safe Drinking 

12 Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–12(d)(2)) is amended by 

13 striking ‘‘30’’ and inserting ‘‘35’’. 

14 (2) TYPES OF ASSISTANCE.—Section 1452(f)(1) 

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

16 12(f)(1)) is amended— 

17 (A) by redesignating subparagraphs (C) 

18 and (D) as subparagraphs (D) and (E), respec19 tively; 

20 (B) by inserting after subparagraph (B) 

21 the following new subparagraph: 

22 ‘‘(C) each loan will be fully amortized not 

23 later than 30 years after the completion of the 

24 project, except that in the case of a disadvan25 taged community (as defined in subsection 


lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 1653 IH

1 (d)(3)) a State may provide an extended term 

2 for a loan, if the extended term— 

3 ‘‘(i) terminates not later than the date 

4 that is 40 years after the date of project 

5 completion; and 

6 ‘‘(ii) does not exceed the expected de7 sign life of the project;’’; and 

8 (C) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘1 

9 year after completion of the project for which 

10 the loan was made’’ and all that follows 

11 through ‘‘design life of the project;’’ and insert12 ing ‘‘18 months after completion of the project 

13 for which the loan was made;’’. 

14 (3) OTHER AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—Section 

15 1452(k)(1)(C) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 

16 U.S.C. 300j–12(k)(1)(C)) is amended by striking 

17 ‘‘for fiscal years 1996 and 1997’’ and all that fol18 lows through the period at the end and inserting 

19 ‘‘for fiscal years 2018 through 2024 to delineate, as20 sess, update assessments, and undertake implemen21 tation activities with respect to source water protec22 tion areas in accordance with the requirements of a 

23 program approved under section 1453, excluding any 

24 activity required to be conducted under the Federal 


lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 1653 IH

1 Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et 

2 seq.).’’. 

3 (d) EXEMPTION FROM FEDERAL CROSS-CUTTING

4 REQUIREMENTS.—Part E of the Safe Drinking Water Act 

5 (42 U.S.C. 300j et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 

6 the following new section: 

7 ‘‘SEC. 1459C. EXEMPTION FROM FEDERAL CROSS-CUTTING 

8 REQUIREMENTS. 

9 ‘‘Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Ad10 ministrator shall exempt a public water system that re11 ceives financial assistance pursuant to section 1452 from 

12 a Federal cross-cutting requirement if the Administrator 

13 determines that the State in which the public water system 

14 is located has in effect a requirement which is not less 

15 stringent than the Federal cross-cutting requirement.’’. 

16 (e) DEFINITION OF FEDERAL CROSS-CUTTING RE17 QUIREMENT.—Section 1401 of the Safe Drinking Water 

18 Act (42 U.S.C. 300f) is amended by adding at the end 

19 the following new paragraph: 

20 ‘‘(17) FEDERAL CROSS-CUTTING REQUIRE21 MENT.—The term ‘Federal cross-cutting require22 ment’ means a requirement of a Federal law or reg23 ulation, compliance with which is a condition on re24 ceipt of a loan or grant under this title, that, if ap25 plied to projects and activities receiving such finanVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:18 Mar 23, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1653.IH H1653

lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 1653 IH

1 cial assistance, would be redundant with a require2 ment of an applicable State or local law.’’. 

3 SEC. 3. REPORTS. 

4 (a) STATE LOAN FUND ADMINISTRATION AND AP5 PLICATION PROCESS.— 

6 (1) REVIEW.—The Administrator of the Envi7 ronmental Protection Agency shall conduct a review 

8 on best practices for— 

9 (A) streamlining the application process 

10 for public water systems to receive loans or loan 

11 guarantees from a State drinking water treat12 ment revolving loan fund; and 

13 (B) efficient administration of State drink14 ing water treatment revolving loan funds. 

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

16 date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of 

17 the Environmental Protection Agency shall submit 

18 to Congress, and make available to States, a report 

19 on the review conducted under paragraph (1), in20 cluding any recommendations. 

21 (b) GAO REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after 

22 the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 

23 of the United States shall prepare and submit to Congress 

24 a report containing— 


lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 1653 IH

1 (1) the results of a study of cost-effective and 

2 economically feasible rehabilitation or replacement of 

3 drinking water infrastructure to meet the goals of 

4 the Safe Drinking Water Act; and 

5 (2) an assessment of barriers that preclude 

6 communities from using materials and technologies 

7 studied pursuant to paragraph (1). 

Æ 


lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS