Water System Threat Preparedness and Resilience Act of 2023

Subjects: Water Resources Development

Summary:  <p><b>Water System Threat Preparedness and Resilience Act of 2023</b></p> <p>This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create a program to support increased membership and involvement of certain smaller water utilities and water treatment works (e.g., wastewater systems) in the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (WaterISAC). As background, WaterISAC is a group of water and wastewater systems and associations that coordinate with the EPA and other federal agencies to collect and analyze data on water security and threats. WaterISAC also provides analysis and resources to support response, mitigation, and resilience initiatives.</p> <p>Under the bill, the EPA must develop a program to </p> <ul> <li>encourage and support WaterISAC membership by community water systems (e.g., public water systems that regularly serve at least 25 year-round residents) and water treatment works,</li> <li> offset membership dues for community water systems and water treatment works,</li> <li> cooperate and coordinate with WaterISAC to expand incident data collection and analysis of threats related to the water sector, and</li> <li> enhance WaterISAC's tools and resources for monitoring the water sector and increase the preparedness of community water systems and publicly owned water treatment works to identify and respond to malevolent acts or natural hazards.</li> </ul>

<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1367 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1367

To establish a program to increase drinking water and wastewater system 
      threat preparedness and resilience, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 3, 2023

Ms. Schakowsky introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the 
   Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a program to increase drinking water and wastewater system 
      threat preparedness and resilience, 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 ``Water System Threat Preparedness and 
Resilience Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Community water system.--The term ``community water 
        system'' has the meaning given the term in section 1401 of the 
        Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f).
            (2) Natural hazard.--The term ``natural hazard'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 1433(h) of the Safe Drinking 
        Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300i-2(h)).
            (3) Treatment works.--The term ``treatment works'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 212 of the Federal Water 
        Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1292).
            (4) Water information sharing and analysis center.--The 
        term ``Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center'' means 
        the Information Sharing and Analysis Center referenced in 
        section 1435(d) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300i-
        4(d)).
    (b) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency shall develop and carry out a program--
            (1) to encourage, support, and maintain the participation 
        of community water systems, treatment works, and other 
        appropriate entities in the Water Information Sharing and 
        Analysis Center;
            (2) to offset costs incurred by community water systems and 
        treatment works that are necessary to maintain or initiate 
        membership in the Water Information Sharing and Analysis 
        Center;
            (3) to expand the cooperation and coordination of the 
        Environmental Protection Agency with the Water Information 
        Sharing and Analysis Center with respect to incident data 
        collection and analysis of water sector-related threats; and
            (4) to enhance the tools, resources, and materials of the 
        Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center for--
                    (A) monitoring the status of the water sector; and
                    (B) enhancing the preparedness of community water 
                systems and publicly owned treatment works to identify, 
                protect against, detect, respond to, and recover from 
                malevolent acts (within the meaning of section 1433 of 
                the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300i-2)) or 
                natural hazards.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2024 and 2025, to remain available until expended.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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