I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6154 
To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to reduce lead in drinking water, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 22, 2016 
Mr. MCNERNEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to reduce lead in 
drinking water, 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 ‘‘Reducing Lead in 
Drinking Water Act’’. 
SEC. 2. REDUCING LEAD IN DRINKING WATER. 
(a) DEFINITION OF LEAD SERVICE LINE.—Section 
1401 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new para-
graph: 
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‘‘(17) LEAD
SERVICE
LINE.—The term ‘lead 
service line’ means a service line that is not lead free 
(within the meaning of section 1417).’’. 
(b) REPLACING
LEAD
SERVICE
LINES.—Section 
1417 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300g– 
6) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(f) REPLACING LEAD SERVICE LINES.— 
‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligi-
ble entity’ means— 
‘‘(i) an owner or operator of a public 
water system; 
‘‘(ii) a qualified nonprofit organiza-
tion, as determined by the Administrator; 
or 
‘‘(iii) a municipality or a State, inter-
state, or intermunicipal agency. 
‘‘(B) LEAD
PIPE
REPLACEMENT
PRO-
GRAM.—The term ‘lead pipe replacement pro-
gram’ means a project or activity the primary 
purpose of which is to eliminate lead in water 
for human consumption by— 
‘‘(i) replacing lead service lines; 
‘‘(ii) testing, planning, or carrying out 
other relevant activities, as determined by 
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the Administrator, to identify the location 
and condition of lead service lines; or 
‘‘(iii) providing assistance to low-in-
come homeowners to replace privately 
owned lead service lines. 
‘‘(C) 
LOW-INCOME
HOMEOWNER.—The 
term ‘low-income homeowner’ has such meaning 
as may be given the term by the Governor of 
the applicable State. 
‘‘(2) GRANT PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(A) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 
180 days after the date of enactment of this 
subsection, the Administrator shall establish a 
grant program to provide assistance to eligible 
entities for lead pipe replacement programs. 
‘‘(B) 
EVALUATION.—In 
determining 
whether to provide assistance to an eligible enti-
ty under this subsection, the Administrator 
shall evaluate whether the eligible entity has— 
‘‘(i) a current inventory of lead service 
lines in the applicable public water system; 
‘‘(ii) a plan to notify customers of 
such public water system of the replace-
ment of any publicly owned portion of a 
lead service line; 
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‘‘(iii) a plan to replace the privately 
owned portion of a lead service line at the 
cost of replacement; 
‘‘(iv) a plan for a program of assist-
ance to low-income homeowners to replace 
the privately owned portion of lead service 
lines; or 
‘‘(v) a plan of recommended measures 
to avoid exposure of the public to short- 
term increases in lead levels following a 
lead service line replacement. 
‘‘(C) PRIORITY
APPLICATION.—In pro-
viding assistance under this subsection, the Ad-
ministrator shall give priority to an eligible en-
tity that— 
‘‘(i) will carry out a lead pipe replace-
ment program at a public water system 
that has exceeded the lead action level es-
tablished by the Administrator at any time 
during the 3-year period preceding the 
date of submission of the application of the 
eligible entity; 
‘‘(ii) will address lead levels in water 
for human consumption at a school, 
daycare, or other facility that primarily 
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