I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8032 
To authorize the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 16, 2024 
Mr. SORENSEN (for himself, Mrs. CHAVEZ-DEREMER, Ms. SCHRIER, and Mrs. 
GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N) 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 provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To authorize the Low-Income Household Water Assistance 
Program, 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 ‘‘Low-Income House-
hold Water Assistance Program Establishment Act’’. 
SEC. 2. LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLD WATER ASSISTANCE 
PROGRAM. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency. 
(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means a State, or Indian tribe, that is eligible 
to receive or previously received a grant under the 
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 
(42 U.S.C. 8621 et seq.). 
(3) 
HOUSEHOLD.—The 
term 
‘‘household’’ 
means any individual or group of individuals who 
are living together as 1 economic unit. 
(4) 
LOW-INCOME
HOUSEHOLD.—The 
term 
‘‘low-income household’’ means a household— 
(A) in which 1 or more individuals are re-
ceiving— 
(i) assistance under the State pro-
gram funded under part A of title IV of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et 
seq.); 
(ii) supplemental security income pay-
ments under title XVI of the Social Secu-
rity Act (42 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.); 
(iii) supplemental nutrition assistance 
program benefits under the Food and Nu-
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trition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et 
seq.); 
(iv) payments under— 
(I) section 1315, 1521, 1541, or 
1542 of title 38, United States Code; 
or 
(II) section 306 of the Veterans’ 
and Survivors’ Pension Improvement 
Act of 1978 (38 U.S.C. 1521 note; 
Public Law 95–588); or 
(v) assistance under the Low-Income 
Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981; or 
(B) that has an income that, as deter-
mined by the State or Indian tribe, does not ex-
ceed the greatest of— 
(i) an amount equal to 150 percent of 
the poverty level; 
(ii) an amount equal to 60 percent of 
the State median income for that State or 
the State in which the Indian tribe is pri-
marily located; and 
(iii) an amount equal to 60 percent of 
the area median income for the area in 
which the household is located. 
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(5) POVERTY
LEVEL.—The term ‘‘poverty 
level’’ means the poverty line determined pursuant 
to section 673 of the Community Services Block 
Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902). 
(6) PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘public 
water system’’ has the meaning given the term in 
section 1401 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 
U.S.C. 300f). 
(7) QUALIFIED
NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION.— 
The term ‘‘qualified nonprofit organization’’ includes 
a nonprofit organization described in section 
680(a)(3)(B) of the Community Services Block 
Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9921(a)(3)(B)). 
(8) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 
(9) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means any of 
the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Com-
monwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the United States 
Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. 
(10) TREATMENT
WORKS.—The term ‘‘treat-
ment works’’ has the meaning given the term in sec-
tion 212 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 
(33 U.S.C. 1292). 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consulta-
tion with the Administrator, shall establish the Low- 
Income Household Water Assistance Program to 
award grants, in accordance with paragraph (2), to 
eligible entities to provide funds to owners and oper-
ators of public water systems or treatment works to 
assist low-income households in paying arrearages 
and other rates charged to such households for 
drinking water or wastewater services. 
(2) FORMULA.—In awarding grants under this 
subsection to eligible entities, the Secretary shall— 
(A) allot amounts made available for 
grants under this subsection to an eligible enti-
ty that is a State or Indian tribe based on— 
(i) the percentage of households in the 
State, or under the jurisdiction of the In-
dian tribe, with income equal to or less 
than 150 percent of the poverty level; or 
(ii) the percentage of households in 
the State, or under the jurisdiction of the 
Indian tribe, that spend more than 30 per-
cent of monthly income on housing; and 
(B) reserve up to 3 percent of amounts 
made available for grants under this subsection 
to eligible entities that are Indian tribes. 
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(c) RURAL, UNDERSERVED, AND INDIAN TRIBE AC-
CESS GRANTS.—The Secretary shall provide grants to 
qualified nonprofit organizations to assist owners or oper-
ators of public water systems or treatment works, in rural 
or underserved areas or in the jurisdiction of an Indian 
tribe, in accessing funds through the Low-Income House-
hold Water Assistance Program. 
(d) APPLICATIONS.—Each eligible entity seeking a 
grant under subsection (b), and each qualified nonprofit 
organization seeking a grant under subsection (c), shall 
submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as the Sec-
retary shall require. 
(e) LIMITATIONS.—A recipient of a grant under sub-
section (b) or (c)— 
(1) shall not use the funds from the grant to 
supplant any other funds for any program that as-
sists low-income households in maintaining access to 
affordable drinking water or wastewater services; 
and 
(2) may use the funds from the grant to supple-
ment or otherwise enhance any such program that 
satisfies the requirements under this section. 
(f) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR ELIGIBILITY RE-
QUIREMENTS.—The Secretary shall provide technical as-
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sistance to eligible entities receiving a grant under sub-
section (b) for such eligible entities to establish data shar-
ing agreements to streamline categorical eligibility re-
quirements for low-income households. 
(g) TRANSFER TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTEC-
TION AGENCY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—On the date on which the 
final report described in section 50109(d) of the In-
frastructure Investment and Jobs Act (42 U.S.C. 
300j–19a note; Public Law 117–58; 135 Stat. 1148) 
is submitted to Congress under such section, the 
Secretary, in coordination with the Administrator, 
shall transfer the Low-Income Household Water As-
sistance Program established under this section to 
the Environmental Protection Agency for adminis-
tration of such program by the Administrator in ac-
cordance with this section. 
(2) ADMINISTRATION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Beginning on the date 
described in paragraph (1)— 
(i) the Administrator shall carry out 
all functions of the Secretary under this 
section; and 
(ii) for purposes of administering the 
program established under this section, 
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each reference in subsection (b)(2), (c), 
(d), and (f) to the Secretary shall be 
deemed a reference to the Administrator. 
(B) GRANTS
PREVIOUSLY
AWARDED.— 
Notwithstanding paragraph (1) and subpara-
graph (A), the Secretary shall continue, after 
the transfer under paragraph (1), administering 
each grant awarded under this section prior to 
such transfer until the expiration of the term of 
such grant. 
(3) UNOBLIGATED BALANCES.—On the date de-
scribed in paragraph (1) and subject to section 1531 
of title 31, United States Code, the Secretary shall 
transfer all unobligated balances of appropriations, 
authorizations, allocations, or other funds available 
to the Low-Income Household Water Assistance 
Program established under this section (except for 
any such balances related to grants awarded prior to 
the transfer under paragraph (1)) to the Adminis-
trator. The amounts of any such unobligated bal-
ances so transferred shall be used only for the pur-
poses for which the amounts were originally author-
ized and appropriated. 
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(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$1,100,000,000. 
Æ 
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