Emergency Water Infrastructure Improvements Act of 2021
Bill: S.755 | Sponsor: Sen. Hyde-Smith, Cindy (R-MS)
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
Emergency Water Infrastructure Improvements Act of 2021
This bill provides financial support for water infrastructure.
Specifically, the bill provides appropriations to the Environmental Protection Agency for grants under the drinking water state revolving fund program to address contaminants in drinking water, which may include the repair and replacement of water distribution system components.
Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Commerce to provide a specified amount of funding to address contaminants in drinking water from unobligated amounts of certain funds provided for economic development assistance programs.

To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to 
   provide additional assistance for public water systems damaged by 
          Winter Storms Uri and Viola, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Emergency Water Infrastructure 
Improvements Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL INFRASTRUCTURE AUTHORITY.

    Section 219(f)(167) of the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 
(Public Law 102-580; 106 Stat. 4835; 113 Stat. 335; 121 Stat. 1263) is 
amended by striking ``$25,000,000'' and inserting ``$47,000,000''.

SEC. 3. SAFE DRINKING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
            (2) Eligible state.--The term ``eligible State'' means a 
        State--
                    (A) for which the President has declared not fewer 
                than 5 major disasters under the Robert T. Stafford 
                Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
                5121 et seq.); and
                    (B) in which public water systems suffered major 
                damage, as determined by the Administrator, from Winter 
                Storms Uri and Viola.
            (3) Eligible system.--The term ``eligible system'' means a 
        public water system that has been subject to an emergency 
        administrative order pursuant to section 1431 of the Safe 
        Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300i) during calendar year 2020.
            (4) 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).
    (b) State Revolving Loan Fund Assistance.--
            (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
        law, an eligible system shall be--
                    (A) considered a disadvantaged community for 
                purposes of subsection (d) of section 1452 of the Safe 
                Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-12); and
                    (B) eligible to receive the additional 
                subsidization described in paragraph (1) of that 
                subsection, including the forgiveness of principal 
                described in that paragraph.
            (2) Authorization.--An eligible State may use funds made 
        available under a capitalization grant provided under 
        subsection (c) to provide the additional subsidization 
        described in paragraph (1)(B) to an eligible system within the 
        eligible State to address contaminants in drinking water, which 
        may include the repair and replacement of water distribution 
        system components.
    (c) Drinking Water State Revolving Funds.--
            (1) Appropriation.--There is appropriated to the 
        Administrator, out of any funds of the Treasury not otherwise 
        appropriated, $150,000,000 to provide additional capitalization 
        grants to eligible States pursuant to section 1452 of the Safe 
        Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-12) for the purposes 
        described in subsection (b)(2), to remain available until 
        expended.
            (2) Intended use plans.--Not later than 30 days after the 
        date on which an eligible State submits to the Administrator a 
        revised intended use plan under section 1452(b) of the Safe 
        Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-12(b)) that includes 
        information with respect to projects described in subsection 
        (b)(2) to be funded using amounts made available in a 
        capitalization grant pursuant to paragraph (1), the 
        Administrator shall make a capitalization grant to the eligible 
        State in such amount as is necessary to fund the projects 
        described in the revised intended use plan.
            (3) Requirement.--Of the funds provided to an eligible 
        State in a capitalization grant made pursuant to paragraph (1), 
        the eligible State may use not more than 15 percent to provide 
        assistance to an eligible system for the purposes of purchasing 
        and installing new water meters and modernizing billing 
        systems.
    (d) Nonduplication of Work.--An activity carried out using funds 
made available under this section shall not duplicate or impede the 
work of any other Federal or State department or agency.

SEC. 4. ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE GRANTS FOR DRINKING WATER 
              INFRASTRUCTURE.

    Of the amounts made available under the heading ``economic 
development assistance programs'' under the heading ``Economic 
Development Administration'' under title II of division B of the CARES 
Act (Public Law 116-136; 134 Stat. 510), or for grants for economic 
development assistance under the heading ``economic development 
assistance programs'' under the heading ``Economic Development 
Administration'' under title I of division B of the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260), that are unobligated on 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall 
provide not less than $25,000,000 to eligible systems (as defined in 
section 3(a)) to address contaminants in drinking water.
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