I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2656 
To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to provide grants for nitrate and 
arsenic reduction projects, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 3, 2025 
Mrs. TORRES of California (for herself and Mr. VALADAO) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to provide grants 
for nitrate and arsenic reduction projects, 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 ‘‘Removing Nitrate and 
Arsenic in Drinking Water Act’’. 
SEC. 2. NITRATE AND ARSENIC REDUCTION GRANT PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Part E of the Safe Drinking 
Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j et seq.) is amended by insert-
ing after section 1459G the following: 
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‘‘SEC. 1459H. NITRATE AND ARSENIC REDUCTION GRANT 
PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) ARSENIC REDUCTION PROJECT.—The term 
‘arsenic reduction project’ means a project or activ-
ity the primary purpose of which is to reduce the 
concentration of arsenic in water for human con-
sumption. 
‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en-
tity’ means— 
‘‘(A) a community water system; 
‘‘(B) a nontransient noncommunity water 
system; 
‘‘(C) a qualified nonprofit organization 
with experience in nitrate or arsenic reduction, 
as determined by the Administrator; and 
‘‘(D) a municipality or State, interstate, or 
intermunicipal agency, including a special-pur-
pose unit of local government. 
‘‘(3) NITRATE
REDUCTION
PROJECT.—The 
term ‘nitrate reduction project’ means a project or 
activity the primary purpose of which is to reduce 
the concentration of nitrate in water for human con-
sumption. 
‘‘(4) LOW-INCOME.—The term ‘low-income’, 
with respect to assistance under subsection (b)(4), 
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has such meaning as may be given the term by the 
Governor of the State in which the eligible entity is 
located, based upon the affordability criteria estab-
lished by the State under section 1452(d)(3). 
‘‘(5) NONTRANSIENT
NONCOMMUNITY
WATER 
SYSTEM.—The term ‘nontransient noncommunity 
water system’ means a noncommunity water system 
that regularly serves at least 25 of the same persons 
over a 6 month period, or more, per year. 
‘‘(b) GRANT PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Subject to the avail-
ability of appropriations, the Administrator shall es-
tablish a grant program to provide assistance to eli-
gible entities for nitrate or arsenic reduction projects 
in the United States. 
‘‘(2) PRECONDITION.—As a condition of receipt 
of assistance under this subsection, an eligible entity 
shall take steps to identify— 
‘‘(A) the source of nitrate or arsenic, as 
applicable, in the public water system that is 
subject to human consumption; and 
‘‘(B) the means by which the proposed ni-
trate or arsenic reduction project would mean-
ingfully reduce the concentration of nitrate or 
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arsenic in water provided for human consump-
tion by the applicable public water system. 
‘‘(3) PRIORITY
APPLICATION.—In providing 
grants under this subsection, the Administrator shall 
give priority to an eligible entity that the Adminis-
trator determines, based on affordability criteria es-
tablished by the State under section 1452(d)(3), to 
be a disadvantaged community and— 
‘‘(A) has not been in compliance with the 
maximum contaminant level of nitrate or ar-
senic, as applicable, at any time during the 3- 
year period preceding the date of submission of 
the application of such eligible entity; or 
‘‘(B) proposes to address nitrate or arsenic 
levels, as applicable, in water for human con-
sumption at a school, daycare, or other facility 
that primarily serves children or other vulner-
able human subpopulation described in section 
1458(a)(1). 
‘‘(4) LOW-INCOME ASSISTANCE.—An eligible en-
tity may use a grant provided under this subsection 
to purchase and install treatment technology that re-
duces the amount of nitrate or arsenic, as applica-
ble, in drinking water, with first priority given to as-
sisting disadvantaged communities based on the af-
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fordability criteria established by the applicable 
State under section 1452(d)(3), low-income home-
owners, and landlords or property owners providing 
housing to low-income renters. 
‘‘(c) LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS.—Not more 
than 4 percent of funds made available for grants under 
this section may be used to pay the administrative costs 
of the Administrator. 
‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section— 
‘‘(1) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2026; and 
‘‘(2) $15,000,000 for each fiscal year there-
after.’’. 
(b) REVIEW.—The Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency shall conduct a review on the 
extent the nitrate and arsenic reduction grant program 
under the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j et 
seq.), as added by subsection (a), takes into consideration 
equity to improve equity outcomes, including taking into 
consideration the diverse needs of economically disadvan-
taged and underserved populations. 
Æ 
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