I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6060 
To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to estab-
lish a program to provide grants to units of local governments, drinking 
water systems, and federally recognized Indian Tribes for the replacement 
of lead, galvanized steel, and iron service lines and lead drinking water 
mains, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 17, 2025 
Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency to establish a program to provide grants to units 
of local governments, drinking water systems, and feder-
ally recognized Indian Tribes for the replacement of lead, 
galvanized steel, and iron service lines and lead drinking 
water mains, 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 ‘‘Safe and Fair Elimi-
nation of Taps with Lead Service Lines Act’’ or the 
‘‘SAFE Taps Act’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:43 Nov 19, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6060.IH
H6060
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The presence of lead in drinking water 
poses a grave and ongoing threat to public health in 
the United States. The Environmental Protection 
Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention agree that there is no known safe level 
of lead exposure, which causes irreversible neuro-
logical damage in children and serious health condi-
tions in adults. 
(2) Lead service lines, which connect drinking 
water mains to millions of homes, schools, and 
childcare facilities, are the most significant source of 
lead contamination in drinking water. The Environ-
mental Protection Agency estimates that 9.2 million 
lead service lines serve water to buildings in commu-
nities across the United States. 
(3) The Environmental Protection Agency, 
through subpart I of part 141 of title 40, Code of 
Federal Regulations, has mandated the full replace-
ment of most lead service lines within a 10-year pe-
riod, placing a significant legal and financial obliga-
tion on units of local governments and public water 
systems. 
(4) While State revolving loan funds established 
under section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:43 Nov 19, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6060.IH
H6060
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
(42 U.S.C. 300j–12) are a critical tool to finance 
water infrastructure, the primary structure of such 
funds as a loan program is inadequate to meet the 
needs of many communities facing the lead service 
line replacement mandate under subpart I of part 
141 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations. Finan-
cially distressed and disadvantaged communities 
often lack the debt capacity to accept loans or the 
technical capacity to navigate the complex applica-
tion process under a State revolving loan fund. 
(5) The funds made available for lead service 
line replacement projects and associated activities by 
the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public 
Law 117–58) provided a historic and vital down 
payment for lead service line replacement, but the 
overwhelming demand for these funds demonstrated 
that a substantial funding gap remains and that a 
loan-based system presents significant barriers to 
the most vulnerable communities. 
(6) In many older communities, lead service 
lines are connected to aging drinking water mains 
that are also at or near the end of their useful life. 
Forcing municipalities to replace lead service lines 
without addressing these deteriorating drinking 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:43 Nov 19, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6060.IH
H6060
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
water mains is fiscally inefficient and fails to ensure 
the long-term integrity of the water system. 
(7) A dedicated Federal grant program is there-
fore necessary to ensure the equitable, efficient, and 
timely replacement of all lead service lines and 
drinking water mains that are not lead free to pro-
tect public health, to achieve compliance with sub-
part I of part 141 of title 40, Code of Federal Regu-
lations, and to advance environmental justice for all 
Americans. 
SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF 
LEAD, GALVANIZED STEEL, AND IRON SERV-
ICE LINES AND LEAD DRINKING WATER 
MAINS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator shall es-
tablish a program to provide grants, subject to the avail-
ability of appropriations, to eligible recipients to pay for 
eligible project costs. 
(b) LABOR STANDARDS.—All laborers and mechanics 
employed by contractors or subcontractors in the perform-
ance of construction, alteration, or repair work financed 
in whole or in part with a grant provided under the pro-
gram shall be paid wages at rates not less than those pre-
vailing on similar work in the locality as determined by 
the Secretary of Labor in accordance with subchapter IV 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:43 Nov 19, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6060.IH
H6060
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
of chapter 31 of title 40, United States Code (commonly 
referred to as the ‘‘Davis-Bacon Act’’). 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency. 
(2) ELIGIBLE PROJECT COSTS.—The term ‘‘eli-
gible project costs’’ means costs to— 
(A) replace a lead service line; 
(B) replace galvanized steel or iron service 
lines that are or were downstream of lead com-
ponents; 
(C) replace a drinking water main that is 
not lead free; 
(D) plan for or otherwise design the re-
placement of a lead service line, galvanized steel 
or iron service line, or drinking water main 
using a grant provided under the program; 
(E) develop or update any inventory of 
lead service lines; and 
(F) restore the site at which a service line 
or drinking water main is replaced using a 
grant provided under the program. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:43 Nov 19, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6060.IH
H6060
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
(3) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENT.—The term ‘‘eligible 
recipient’’ means— 
(A) a unit of local government; 
(B) a public water system; or 
(C) a federally recognized Indian Tribe. 
(4) LEAD FREE.—The term ‘‘lead free’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 1417(d)(1) of 
the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300g– 
6(d)(1)). 
(5) LEAD SERVICE LINE.—The term ‘‘lead serv-
ice line’’ has the meaning given such term in section 
1459B(a) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 
U.S.C. 300j–19b(a)). 
(6) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘program’’ means 
the program established under section 3(a). 
(7) PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘public 
water system’’ has the meaning given such term in 
section 1401(4) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 
U.S.C. 300f(4)). 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:43 Nov 19, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H6060.IH
H6060
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS