II 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1079 

To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to provide 

additional assistance to rural water, wastewater, and waste disposal systems, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 30, 2023 

Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself and Mr. TILLIS) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

A BILL 

To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 

Act to provide additional assistance to rural water, 

wastewater, and waste disposal 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 ‘‘Assistance for Rural 

5 Water Systems Act of 2023’’. 


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•S 1079 IS

1 SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR RURAL WATER SYS2 TEMS. 

3 Subtitle A of the Consolidated Farm and Rural De4 velopment Act is amended by inserting after section 306A 

5 (7 U.S.C. 1926a) the following: 

6 ‘‘SEC. 306B. ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR RURAL WATER 

7 SYSTEMS. 

8 ‘‘(a) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—In this sec9 tion, the term ‘eligible entity’ means a rural water, waste10 water, or waste disposal facility with respect to which as11 sistance may be provided under a water, wastewater, or 

12 waste disposal program under section 306(a), 306A, 

13 306C, or 306D. 

14 ‘‘(b) ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE.— 

15 ‘‘(1) GRANTS AND LOANS.—The Secretary may 

16 provide a grant, a zero percent interest loan, or a 1 

17 percent interest loan to an eligible entity. 

18 ‘‘(2) EXISTING LOANS.—The Secretary may— 

19 ‘‘(A) forgive principal or interest or modify 

20 any term or condition of an outstanding loan 

21 made to an eligible entity; or 

22 ‘‘(B) refinance part or all of any other loan 

23 (if the purpose of the loan is an eligible purpose 

24 under section 306(a)(1) or 306C) made to an 

25 eligible entity. 


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•S 1079 IS

1 ‘‘(3) LIMITATION.—The Secretary may not pro2 vide assistance under paragraph (2) with respect to 

3 a loan made under paragraph (1). 

4 ‘‘(c) ELIGIBLE PURPOSES.—The Secretary may pro5 vide assistance to an eligible entity under subsection (b) 

6 as the Secretary determines is necessary— 

7 ‘‘(1) to ensure that the eligible entity has the 

8 necessary resources to maintain public health, safe9 ty, or order; or 

10 ‘‘(2) to address financial hardships of the eligi11 ble entity, if the eligible entity is located in a dis12 advantaged or economically distressed area, as deter13 mined under subsection (d). 

14 ‘‘(d) DETERMINATION.—To determine whether an el15 igible entity may receive assistance pursuant to subsection 

16 (c)(2), the Secretary shall establish— 

17 ‘‘(1) a residential indicator of affordable water 

18 services in each State or local or geographic area, 

19 calculated using the cost per household as a percent20 age of median household income; and 

21 ‘‘(2) factors relating to disadvantaged or eco22 nomically distressed areas.’’. 

Æ 


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