I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5347 
To require the Secretary of the Interior to establish a grant program to 
close gaps in access to safe drinking water in disadvantaged communities, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 6, 2019 
Mr. COX of California (for himself, Mr. COSTA, Mr. HARDER of California, 
and Mr. HUFFMAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Natural Resources, 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 provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of the Interior to establish a grant 
program to close gaps in access to safe drinking water 
in disadvantaged communities, 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 ‘‘Disadvantaged Com-
munity Drinking Water Assistance Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:22 Dec 12, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5347.IH
H5347
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
(1) many areas in the State of California, par-
ticularly in the San Joaquin Valley region, are dis-
proportionately impacted by drought because the 
areas are heavily dependent or completely reliant on 
groundwater supplies to meet domestic drinking 
water needs; and 
(2) those communities throughout the State of 
California have been impacted by the presence of 
naturally occurring and human-caused constituents 
including arsenic, 1,2,3-Trichloropropane (1,2,3- 
TCP), hexavalent chromium, Dibromochloropropane 
(DBCP), uranium, and nitrates in local groundwater 
supplies. 
SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of the Interior 
shall establish and carry out a grant program to be known 
as the ‘‘Disadvantaged Community Drinking Water As-
sistance Program’’ to provide financial assistance to dis-
advantaged communities that have experienced a signifi-
cant decline in quantity or quality of drinking water, and 
to obtain or maintain adequate quantities of water that 
meet the standards set by the Federal Safe Drinking 
Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f et seq.). Grants under this 
section may be provided to communities— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:29 Dec 13, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5347.IH
H5347
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
(1) that are unable to meet the primary drink-
ing water quality standards under that Act; or 
(2) the local private or public water supply of 
which has been lost or severely diminished due to 
drought conditions, groundwater overdraft condi-
tions, or climate change conditions. 
(b) 
ELIGIBLE
COMMUNITIES.—Grants 
provided 
under this section shall be used to benefit communities— 
(1) located in a city, town, or special district 
with a population of not more than 60,000 of resi-
dents; and 
(2) that have a median household income of less 
than 100 percent of the nonmetropolitan median 
household income of the State in which the commu-
nity is located. 
(c) ELIGIBLE USES.—Grants provided under this 
section may be used for the following: 
(1) Point of use treatment and point of entry 
systems. 
(2) Wellhead treatment and distributed treat-
ment facilities. 
(3) Blending systems in compliance with State 
regulations. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:14 Dec 20, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5347.IH
H5347
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
(4) Costs related to the consolidation of mul-
tiple small rural water systems or a small rural 
water system with a larger system. 
(5) Construction of new water source facilities 
including wells and connections to existing systems. 
(6) Water distribution facilities. 
(7) Water capacity fees, water supply develop-
ment fees, water connections fees, and similar fees 
that are assessed when a new connection is added to 
an existing water system as part of a consolidation. 
(8) Assistance to households to connect to 
water facilities. 
(9) Emergency water supplies. 
(10) A combination of activities described in 
paragraphs (1) through (9). 
(11) Application and technical assistance costs 
associated with the activities described in para-
graphs (1) through (9). 
(d) PRIORITIZATION.—In determining priorities for 
funding projects, the Secretary of the Interior shall take 
into consideration— 
(1) communities that are currently operating 
under a notice of violation for failing to provide po-
table water that meets primary drinking water 
standards; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:22 Dec 12, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5347.IH
H5347
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
(2) whether the applicant has the ability to 
qualify for alternative funding sources that do not 
result in water rate increases unable to be absorbed 
by the residential ratepayers; 
(3) communities deemed vulnerable to water 
shortage conditions because the system is located in 
a critically overdrafted groundwater basin, and the 
system has only a single water supply source; 
(4) rural communities served by individual, on-
site domestic wells that have documented dry well 
conditions or contaminated well conditions; and 
(5) public water systems that desire to consoli-
date with each other, or with a larger urban system, 
to increase economies-of-scale to reduce cost of serv-
ice, and increase the level and quality of water serv-
ice delivery. 
(e) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.—The amount of a grant pro-
vided under this section may be used to fund— 
(1) not more than 100 percent of costs for ac-
tivities, including— 
(A) technical assistance and other costs as-
sociated with application for assistance through 
the Disadvantaged Community Drinking Water 
Assistance Program; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:22 Dec 12, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5347.IH
H5347
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
(B) initial operating costs incurred to start 
up, test, and place into service project facilities 
and components; and 
(C) capital costs of construction or compo-
nents to ensure such facilities and components 
are properly operational; and 
(2) not more than 25 percent of costs for as-
sistance with operation and maintenance costs in-
curred subsequent to placing the facilities or compo-
nents into service to ensure service remains efficient 
and effective. 
(f) OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE.—Not more than 
25 percent of funds made available in any fiscal year for 
grants under this section shall be used for operations and 
maintenance costs. States may use a State circuit riding 
operations assistance team to identify applicants approved 
for operations and maintenance assistance. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Inte-
rior to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2021 through 2025, to remain available until ex-
pended. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
19:14 Dec 20, 2019
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H5347.IH
H5347
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS