IB 
Union Calendar No. 555 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5347 
[Report No. 116–671, Part I] 
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 
DECEMBER 18, 2020 
Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
DECEMBER 18, 2020 
Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged; committed to the Committee 
of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on December 6, 2019] 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:05 Dec 18, 2020
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6652
E:\BILLS\H5347.RH
H5347
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
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. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:05 Dec 18, 2020
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6652
E:\BILLS\H5347.RH
H5347
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
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 Commu-
nity Drinking Water Assistance Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(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 nat-
urally occurring and human-caused constituents in-
cluding 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 Assist-
ance Program’’ to provide financial assistance to disadvan-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:05 Dec 18, 2020
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H5347.RH
H5347
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
taged communities that have experienced a significant de-
cline in quantity or quality of drinking water, and to ob-
tain 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 within a Reclamation State, as 
defined by the Reclamation Act of 1902 (43 U.S.C. 391)— 
(1) that are unable to meet the primary drinking 
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 conditions, 
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 sec-
tion may be used for the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:05 Dec 18, 2020
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H5347.RH
H5347
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
(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. 
(4) Costs related to the consolidation of multiple 
small rural water systems or a small rural water sys-
tem 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 paragraphs 
(1) through (9). 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:05 Dec 18, 2020
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H5347.RH
H5347
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
(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 pota-
ble water that meets primary drinking water stand-
ards; 
(2) whether the applicant has the ability to qual-
ify 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 sys-
tem 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 service, 
and increase the level and quality of water service de-
livery. 
(e) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.—The amount of a grant pro-
vided under this section may be used to fund— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:05 Dec 18, 2020
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H5347.RH
H5347
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
(1) not more than 100 percent of costs for activi-
ties, including— 
(A) technical assistance and other costs as-
sociated with application for assistance through 
the Disadvantaged Community Drinking Water 
Assistance Program; 
(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 assist-
ance with operation and maintenance costs incurred 
subsequent to placing the facilities or components into 
service to ensure service remains efficient and effec-
tive. 
(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-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:05 Dec 18, 2020
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H5347.RH
H5347
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
rior to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2021 through 2025, to remain available until ex-
pended. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:05 Dec 18, 2020
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H5347.RH
H5347
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 555 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5347 
[Report No. 116–671, Part I] 
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. 
DECEMBER 18, 2020 
Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with 
an amendment 
DECEMBER 18, 2020 
Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged; com-
mitted to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:05 Dec 18, 2020
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6651
Sfmt 6651
E:\BILLS\H5347.RH
H5347
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS