II 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3015 

To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish a low-income 

sewer and drinking water assistance pilot program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 6, 2018 

Ms. HARRIS introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Environment and Public Works 

A BILL 

To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish a low-income sewer and drinking water assistance 

pilot program, 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 Affordability 

5 Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. LOW-INCOME SEWER AND DRINKING WATER AS7 SISTANCE PILOT PROGRAM. 

8 Title I of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 

9 (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 

10 the following: 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 124. LOW-INCOME SEWER AND DRINKING WATER AS2 SISTANCE PILOT PROGRAM. 

3 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

4 ‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en5 tity’ means a municipality, or a public entity that 

6 owns or operates a public water system (as defined 

7 in section 1401 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 

8 U.S.C. 300f)), that is affected by a consent decree 

9 relating to compliance with this Act. 

10 ‘‘(2) ENVIRONMENTALLY AT-RISK HOUSE11 HOLD.—The term ‘environmentally at-risk house12 hold’ means— 

13 ‘‘(A) a household located within 5 miles of 

14 an environmentally hazardous site, including 

15 waste disposal, manufacturing, and energy pro16 duction facilities; and 

17 ‘‘(B) as indicated by the EJScreen tool of 

18 the Environmental Protection Agency, a house19 hold located in an area with— 

20 ‘‘(i) a high minority population; and 

21 ‘‘(ii) a high environmental indicator. 

22 ‘‘(3) HOUSEHOLD.—The term ‘household’ 

23 means any individual or group of individuals who 

24 are living together as 1 economic unit. 

25 ‘‘(4) LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLD.—The term 

26 ‘low-income household’ means a household— 


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1 ‘‘(A) in which one or more individuals are 

2 receiving— 

3 ‘‘(i) assistance under a State program 

4 funded under part A of title IV of the So5 cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.); 

6 ‘‘(ii) supplemental security income 

7 payments under title XVI of the Social Se8 curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.); 

9 ‘‘(iii) supplemental nutrition assist10 ance program benefits under the Food and 

11 Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et 

12 seq.); or 

13 ‘‘(iv) payments under— 

14 ‘‘(I) section 1315, 1521, 1541, or 

15 1542 of title 38, United States Code; 

16 or 

17 ‘‘(II) section 306 of the Veterans’ 

18 and Survivors’ Pension Improvement 

19 Act of 1978 (38 U.S.C. 1521 note; 

20 Public Law 95–588); or 

21 ‘‘(B) that has an income that, as deter22 mined by the State in which the household is lo23 cated, does not exceed the greater of— 

24 ‘‘(i) an amount equal to 150 percent 

25 of the poverty level for that State; and 


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1 ‘‘(ii) an amount equal to 60 percent of 

2 the median income for that State. 

3 ‘‘(5) SANITATION SERVICES.—The term ‘sanita4 tion services’ has the meaning given the term in sec5 tion 113(g). 

6 ‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT OF PILOT PROGRAM.— 

7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall es8 tablish a pilot program to provide grants to not less 

9 than 10 eligible entities to assist low-income house10 holds and environmentally at-risk households in 

11 maintaining access to sanitation services and drink12 ing water. 

13 ‘‘(2) LOWER INCOME LIMIT.—For purposes of 

14 the pilot program under this section, an eligible enti15 ty may adopt an income limit that is lower than the 

16 limit described in subsection (a)(4)(B), except that 

17 the eligible entity may not exclude a household from 

18 eligibility in a fiscal year solely on the basis of 

19 household income if that income is less than 110 

20 percent of the poverty level for the State. 

21 ‘‘(c) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

22 of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall sub23 mit to Congress a report on the results of the pilot pro24 gram under this section.’’. 

Æ 


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