I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4797 

To provide grants to eligible entities to reduce lead in drinking water. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 17, 2016 

Ms. DUCKWORTH (for herself and Mr. QUIGLEY) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To provide grants to eligible entities to reduce lead in 

drinking water. 

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 ‘‘Grants and Education 

5 To Tackle Homeowner Exposure to Lead Ensuring Amer6 ica Drinks Only from Unpolluted Taps Act of 2016’’ or 

7 the ‘‘GET THE LEAD OUT Act of 2016’’. 

8 SEC. 2. REDUCING LEAD IN DRINKING WATER. 

9 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

10 (1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti11 ty’’ means— 


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1 (A) a community water system (as defined 

2 in section 1401 of the Safe Drinking Water Act 

3 (42 U.S.C. 300f)); 

4 (B) a system located in an area governed 

5 by an Indian Tribe (as defined in that section); 

6 (C) a nontransient noncommunity water 

7 system; 

8 (D) a qualified nonprofit organization, as 

9 determined by the Administrator; and 

10 (E) a municipality or State, interstate, or 

11 intermunicipal agency. 

12 (2) LEAD REDUCTION PROJECT.— 

13 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘lead reduc14 tion project’’ means a project or activity the 

15 primary purpose of which is to reduce the level 

16 of lead in water for human consumption by— 

17 (i) replacement of publicly owned por18 tions of lead service lines; 

19 (ii) testing, planning, or other relevant 

20 activities, as determined by the Adminis21 trator, to identify and address conditions 

22 (including corrosion control) that con23 tribute to increased lead levels in water for 

24 human consumption; 


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1 (iii) assistance to low-income home2 owners to replace privately owned portions 

3 of service lines, pipes, fittings, or fixtures 

4 that contain lead; and 

5 (iv) education of consumers regarding 

6 measures to reduce exposure to lead from 

7 drinking water or other sources. 

8 (B) LIMITATION.—The term ‘‘lead reduc9 tion project’’ does not include a partial lead 

10 service line replacement if, at the conclusion of 

11 that service line replacement, drinking water is 

12 delivered to a household through a publicly or 

13 privately owned portion of a lead service line. 

14 (3) LOW-INCOME.—The term ‘‘low-income’’, 

15 with respect to an individual provided assistance 

16 under this section, has such meaning as may be 

17 given the term by the head of the municipality or 

18 State, interstate, or intermunicipal agency with ju19 risdiction over the area to which assistance is pro20 vided. 

21 (4) MUNICIPALITY.—The term ‘‘municipality’’ 

22 means— 

23 (A) a city, town, borough, county, parish, 

24 district, association, or other public entity esVerDate Sep 11 2014 07:13 Mar 18, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4797.IH H4797

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1 tablished by, or pursuant to, applicable State 

2 law; and 

3 (B) an Indian tribe (as defined in section 

4 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu5 cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b)). 

6 (b) GRANT PROGRAM.— 

7 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days 

8 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Adminis9 trator shall establish a grant program to provide as10 sistance to eligible entities for lead reduction 

11 projects in the United States. 

12 (2) EVALUATION.—In providing assistance 

13 under this section, the Administrator shall evalu14 ate— 

15 (A) that an eligible entity applying for as16 sistance has identified the source of lead in 

17 water for human consumption; and 

18 (B) the means by which the proposed lead 

19 reduction project would reduce lead levels in the 

20 applicable water system. 

21 (3) PRIORITY APPLICATION.—In providing 

22 grants under this subsection, the Administrator shall 

23 give priority to an eligible entity that— 

24 (A) carries out a lead reduction project at 

25 a public water system or nontransient nonVerDate Sep 11 2014 07:13 Mar 18, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4797.IH H4797

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1 community water system that has exceeded the 

2 lead action level established by the Adminis3 trator at any time during the 3-year period pre4 ceding the date of submission of the application 

5 of the eligible entity; 

6 (B) addresses lead levels in water for 

7 human consumption at a school, daycare, or 

8 other facility that primarily serves children or 

9 another vulnerable human subpopulation; or 

10 (C) addresses such priority criteria as the 

11 Administrator may establish, consistent with 

12 the goal of reducing lead levels of concern. 

13 (4) COST SHARING.— 

14 (A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subpara15 graph (B), the non-Federal share of the total 

16 cost of a project funded by a grant under this 

17 subsection shall be not less than 20 percent. 

18 (B) WAIVER.—The Administrator may re19 duce or eliminate the non-Federal share under 

20 subparagraph (A) for reasons of affordability, 

21 as the Administrator determines to be appro22 priate. 

23 (5) LOW-INCOME ASSISTANCE.— 

24 (A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subpara25 graph (B), an eligible entity may use a grant 


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1 provided under this subsection to provide assist2 ance to low-income homeowners to carry out 

3 lead reduction projects. 

4 (B) LIMITATION.—The amount of a grant 

5 provided to a low-income homeowner under this 

6 paragraph shall not exceed the cost of replace7 ment of the privately owned portion of the serv8 ice line. 

9 (6) SPECIAL CONSIDERATION FOR LEAD SERV10 ICE LINE REPLACEMENT.—In carrying out lead serv11 ice line replacement using a grant under this sub12 section, an eligible entity shall— 

13 (A) notify customers of the planned re14 placement of any publicly owned portion of the 

15 lead service line; 

16 (B) offer— 

17 (i) in the case of a homeowner that is 

18 not low-income, to replace the privately 

19 owned portion of the lead service line at 

20 the cost of replacement; and 

21 (ii) in the case of a low-income home22 owner, to replace the privately owned por23 tion of the lead service line and any pipes, 

24 fittings, and fixtures that contain lead at a 


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1 cost that is equal to the difference be2 tween— 

3 (I) the cost of replacement; and 

4 (II) the amount of low-income as5 sistance available to the homeowner 

6 under paragraph (5); 

7 (C) notify each customer that a planned 

8 replacement of any publicly owned portion of a 

9 lead service line that is funded by a grant made 

10 under this subsection will not be carried out un11 less the customer consents to the simultaneous 

12 replacement of the privately owned portion of 

13 the lead service line; and 

14 (D) demonstrate that the eligible entity 

15 has considered multiple options for reducing 

16 lead in drinking water, including an evaluation 

17 of options for corrosion control. 

18 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

19 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 

20 $60,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021. 

Æ 


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