Drinking Water Infrastructure for Job Creation Act

Making supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2017 for the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Drinking Water Infrastructure for Job Creation Act 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Investments in infrastructure create jobs while fulfilling critical needs in communities throughout the United States. (2) According to the Brookings Institution, nearly 14.5 million workers—11 percent of the U.S. workforce—were employed in infrastructure jobs in 2013. (3) According to data from the Brookings Institution, infrastructure occupations often provide more competitive and equitable wages in comparison to all jobs nationally, consistently paying up to 30 percent more to low-income workers over the past decade. (4) The American Society of Civil Engineers gave the infrastructure of the United States an overall grade of D+ (5) The American Society of Civil Engineers assigned a D D+ (6) According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, there are an estimated 240,000 water main breaks per year in the United States, wasting over two trillion gallons of treated drinking water. (7) In 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that although exposure to lead can cause serious health problems, including damage to the brain and nervous system in children and kidney problems and high blood pressure in adults, an estimated 6.5 to 10 million homes nationwide receive drinking water through lead service lines. (8) Congress created the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds in 1996 to help eligible public water systems finance infrastructure projects in order to comply with Federal drinking water regulations and meet the health objectives of the Safe Drinking Water Act. (9) The EPA is required periodically to conduct a survey of the capital improvement needs of eligible public water systems and distribute funding appropriated for the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds among the States based on the results of the most recent survey. (10) In 2013, the EPA completed the most recent survey of the capital improvement needs of eligible public water systems and estimated that $384 billion in improvements are needed for the Nation’s drinking water infrastructure over 20 years in order to ensure the safety of drinking water. (11) The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ( Public Law 111–5 (12) Past appropriations for the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds are not sufficient to address the tremendous need for investments in drinking water infrastructure in communities throughout the United States. (13) Appropriating $7.5 billion in fiscal year 2017 for the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, and allowing the funds to remain available for 6 years, will enable States to begin immediately to expand investments in drinking water infrastructure in communities throughout the United States. (14) Restricting appropriations for the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds through the use of arbitrary budget caps or sequestration undermines economic recovery and job creation efforts; disrupts planning by States, local communities, and eligible public water systems; and leaves critical infrastructure needs unmet. (15) Emergency supplemental appropriations for the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, provided in addition to other appropriations and not subject to sequestration, will improve drinking water infrastructure and create jobs throughout the United States without reducing funding for other domestic priorities. (16) An emergency supplemental appropriation of $7.5 billion for the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds to be made available in fiscal year 2017, and to remain available for 6 years, will allow States to begin immediately to distribute funds to eligible public water systems and allow local communities and eligible public water systems to develop and implement plans to improve drinking water infrastructure, thus ensuring an efficient use of funds and timely job creation. 3. Supplemental appropriations for the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds The following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for fiscal year 2017: Environmental Protection Agency State and Tribal Assistance Grants For an additional amount for capitalization grants under section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act in accordance with the provisions under this heading in title VII of division A of Public Law 111–5 Provided 4. Exemption from sequestration The appropriation in section 3 shall be exempt from sequestration under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.

Summary: Drinking Water Infrastructure for Job Creation Act This bill provides $7.5 billion in supplemental FY2017 appropriations to the Environmental Protection Agency to remain available through FY2022 for capitalization grants to the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. (The program assists public water systems in financing infrastructure projects needed to comply with federal drinking water regulations and meet health objectives under the Safe Drinking Water Act.) The funding provided by this bill is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. The emergency funding is exempt from discretionary spending limits and is only available if the President subsequently designates the amounts as an emergency and submits the designation to Congress. The bill also exempts the funding from sequestration. (Sequestration is a process of automatic, usually across-the-board spending reductions under which budgetary resources are permanently cancelled to enforce specific budget policy goals.)