Assistance for Rural Water Systems Act of 2023

Subjects: Agriculture and Food


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1079 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






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.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Assistance for Rural Water Systems 
Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR RURAL WATER SYSTEMS.

    Subtitle A of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act is 
amended by inserting after section 306A (7 U.S.C. 1926a) the following:

``SEC. 306B. ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR RURAL WATER SYSTEMS.

    ``(a) Definition of Eligible Entity.--In this section, the term 
`eligible entity' means a rural water, wastewater, or waste disposal 
facility with respect to which assistance may be provided under a 
water, wastewater, or waste disposal program under section 306(a), 
306A, 306C, or 306D.
    ``(b) Additional Assistance.--
            ``(1) Grants and loans.--The Secretary may provide a grant, 
        a zero percent interest loan, or a 1 percent interest loan to 
        an eligible entity.
            ``(2) Existing loans.--The Secretary may--
                    ``(A) forgive principal or interest or modify any 
                term or condition of an outstanding loan made to an 
                eligible entity; or
                    ``(B) refinance part or all of any other loan (if 
                the purpose of the loan is an eligible purpose under 
                section 306(a)(1) or 306C) made to an eligible entity.
            ``(3) Limitation.--The Secretary may not provide assistance 
        under paragraph (2) with respect to a loan made under paragraph 
        (1).
    ``(c) Eligible Purposes.--The Secretary may provide assistance to 
an eligible entity under subsection (b) as the Secretary determines is 
necessary--
            ``(1) to ensure that the eligible entity has the necessary 
        resources to maintain public health, safety, or order; or
            ``(2) to address financial hardships of the eligible 
        entity, if the eligible entity is located in a disadvantaged or 
        economically distressed area, as determined under subsection 
        (d).
    ``(d) Determination.--To determine whether an eligible entity may 
receive assistance pursuant to subsection (c)(2), the Secretary shall 
establish--
            ``(1) a residential indicator of affordable water services 
        in each State or local or geographic area, calculated using the 
        cost per household as a percentage of median household income; 
        and
            ``(2) factors relating to disadvantaged or economically 
        distressed areas.''.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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