I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 616 
To prohibit water shutoffs during the COVID–19 emergency period, provide 
drinking and waste water assistance to households, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 28, 2021 
Ms. TLAIB (for herself, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Ms. BASS, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. 
BONAMICI, Mr. BOWMAN, Ms. BUSH, Mrs. BUSTOS, Ms. CLARK of Mas-
sachusetts, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. COHEN, Mrs. WATSON COLE-
MAN, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. DEUTCH, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. MICHAEL F. 
DOYLE of Pennsylvania, Ms. ESCOBAR, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. GARCI´A of 
Illinois, Mr. HASTINGS, Mrs. HAYES, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Ms. JAYAPAL, 
Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Ms. LEE of 
California, Mr. LEVIN of Michigan, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. LYNCH, Mrs. 
CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, Mr. MCNERNEY, Ms. NEWMAN, 
Ms. NORTON, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. POCAN, Ms. 
PRESSLEY, Mr. RYAN, Ms. SA´NCHEZ, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. SPEIER, 
Ms. STEVENS, Mr. SUOZZI, Mrs. TRAHAN, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. 
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Ms. MOORE of 
Wisconsin, Mr. SIRES, Mr. HORSFORD, Ms. SCANLON, Mr. JONES, Mr. 
GOMEZ, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mrs. AXNE, Mr. SARBANES, Ms. KELLY of Illi-
nois, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Mr. SOTO, Ms. KUSTER, Ms. MENG, Ms. 
BROWNLEY, Mr. WELCH, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Ms. MAT-
SUI, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Ms. CRAIG, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, and Mr. 
RASKIN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
Education and Labor, 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 prohibit water shutoffs during the COVID–19 emergency 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:28 Feb 20, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6652
E:\BILLS\H616.IH
H616
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
period, provide drinking and waste water assistance to 
households, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Emergency Water is 
a Human Right Act’’. 
SEC. 2. HOME ENERGY AND WATER SERVICE CONTINUITY. 
Any entity receiving financial assistance pursuant to 
this Act shall, to the maximum extent practicable, estab-
lish or maintain in effect policies to ensure that no home 
energy service or public water system service to an indi-
vidual or household, which is provided or regulated by 
such entity, is or remains disconnected or interrupted dur-
ing 
the 
emergency 
period 
described 
in 
section 
1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act. For purposes 
of this Act, the term ‘‘home energy service’’ means a serv-
ice to provide home energy, as such term is defined in sec-
tion 2603 of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance 
Act of 1981, and electric service, as that term is used in 
the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, and 
the term ‘‘public water system’’ has the meaning given 
that term in section 1401 of the Safe Drinking Water Act. 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require forgive-
ness of outstanding debt owed to an entity or to absolve 
an individual of any obligation to an entity for service. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:28 Feb 20, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H616.IH
H616
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
SEC. 3. LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLD DRINKING WATER AND 
WASTEWATER ASSISTANCE. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated $1,500,000,000 to the Sec-
retary to carry out this section. Such sums shall remain 
available until expended. 
(b) LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLD DRINKING WATER 
AND WASTEWATER ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall 
make grants to States and Indian Tribes to assist low- 
income households, particularly those with the lowest in-
comes, that pay a high proportion of household income 
for drinking water and wastewater services. 
(c) USE OF LIHEAP RESOURCES.—In carrying out 
this section, the Secretary, States, and Indian Tribes, as 
applicable, shall use the existing processes, procedures, 
policies, and systems in place to carry out the Low-Income 
Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981, as the Secretary 
determines appropriate, including by using the application 
and approval process under such Act to the maximum ex-
tent practicable. 
(d) ALLOTMENT.— 
(1) 
FACTORS.—The 
Secretary 
shall 
allot 
amounts appropriated pursuant to this section to a 
State or Indian Tribe taking into account— 
(A) the percentage of households in the 
State, or under the jurisdiction of the Indian 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:28 Feb 20, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H616.IH
H616
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
Tribe, that are low-income, as determined by 
the Secretary; 
(B) the average State or Tribal drinking 
water and wastewater service rates; and 
(C) the extent to which the State or Indian 
Tribe has been impacted by the public health 
emergency. 
(2) NOTIFICATION
TO
CONGRESS.—Not later 
than 15 days after determining an amount to allot 
to each State or Indian Tribe pursuant to paragraph 
(1), and prior to making grants under this section, 
the Secretary shall notify Congress of such allotment 
amounts. 
(e) DETERMINATION
OF
LOW-INCOME
HOUSE-
HOLDS.— 
(1) MINIMUM DEFINITION OF LOW-INCOME.—In 
determining whether a household is considered low- 
income for the purposes of this section, a State or 
Indian Tribe shall— 
(A) ensure that, at a minimum, all house-
holds within 150 percent of the Federal poverty 
line are included as low-income households; and 
(B) consider households that have not pre-
viously received assistance under the Low-In-
come Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 in 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:28 Feb 20, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H616.IH
H616
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
the same manner as households that have pre-
viously received such assistance. 
(2) HOUSEHOLD
DOCUMENTATION
REQUIRE-
MENTS.—States and Indian Tribes shall— 
(A) to the maximum extent practicable, 
seek to limit the income history documentation 
requirements for determining whether a house-
hold is considered low-income for the purposes 
of this section; and 
(B) for the purposes of income eligibility, 
accept proof of job loss or severe income loss 
dated after February 29, 2020, such as a layoff 
or furlough notice or verification of application 
of unemployment benefits, as sufficient to dem-
onstrate lack of income for an individual or 
household. 
(f) APPLICATIONS.—Each State or Indian Tribe de-
siring to receive a grant under this section shall submit 
an application to the Secretary, in such form as the Sec-
retary shall require. 
(g) STATE AGREEMENTS WITH DRINKING WATER 
AND WASTEWATER PROVIDERS.—To the maximum extent 
practicable, a State that receives a grant under this sec-
tion shall enter into agreements with public water systems, 
municipalities, nonprofit organizations associated with 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:28 Feb 20, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H616.IH
H616
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
providing drinking water and wastewater services to rural 
and small communities, and Indian Tribes, to assist in 
identifying low-income households and to carry out this 
section. 
(h) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—A State or Indian 
Tribe that receives a grant under this section may use up 
to 15 percent of the granted amounts for administrative 
costs. 
(i) FEDERAL AGENCY COORDINATION.—In carrying 
out this section, the Secretary shall coordinate with the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency 
and consult with other Federal agencies with authority 
over the provision of drinking water and wastewater serv-
ices. 
(j) AUDITS.—The Secretary shall require each State 
and Indian Tribe receiving a grant under this section to 
undertake periodic audits and evaluations of expenditures 
made by such State or Indian Tribe pursuant to this sec-
tion. 
(k) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary shall 
submit to Congress a report on the results of activities 
carried out pursuant to this section— 
(1) not later than 1 year after the date of en-
actment of this section; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:28 Feb 20, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H616.IH
H616
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
(2) upon disbursement of all funds appropriated 
pursuant to this section. 
(l) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ 
means any Indian Tribe, band, group, or community 
recognized by the Secretary of the Interior and exer-
cising governmental authority over a Federal Indian 
reservation. 
(2) MUNICIPALITY.—The term ‘‘municipality’’ 
has the meaning given such term in section 502 of 
the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 
1362). 
(3) PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.—The term 
‘‘public health emergency’’ means the public health 
emergency described in section 1135(g)(1)(B) of the 
Social Security Act. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 
(5) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means a State, 
the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands of the United States, 
Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of 
the Northern Mariana Islands. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:28 Feb 20, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H616.IH
H616
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS