Title: Water Affordability Act
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
Water Affordability Act
This bill amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to require the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a pilot program that awards grants to at least 10 eligible entities to improve the access of low-income and environmentally at-risk households to sanitation and drinking water services. In order to be eligible for grants, entities must be municipalities, or public entities that own or operate public water systems, that are affected by consent decrees related to compliance with standards under that Act.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3015 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3015

  To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish a low-
income sewer and drinking water assistance pilot program, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 6, 2018

  Ms. Harris introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish a low-
income sewer and drinking water assistance pilot program, 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 ``Water Affordability Act''.

SEC. 2. LOW-INCOME SEWER AND DRINKING WATER ASSISTANCE PILOT PROGRAM.

    Title I of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 124. LOW-INCOME SEWER AND DRINKING WATER ASSISTANCE PILOT 
              PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means a 
        municipality, or a public entity that owns or operates a public 
        water system (as defined in section 1401 of the Safe Drinking 
        Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f)), that is affected by a consent 
        decree relating to compliance with this Act.
            ``(2) Environmentally at-risk household.--The term 
        `environmentally at-risk household' means--
                    ``(A) a household located within 5 miles of an 
                environmentally hazardous site, including waste 
                disposal, manufacturing, and energy production 
                facilities; and
                    ``(B) as indicated by the EJScreen tool of the 
                Environmental Protection Agency, a household located in 
                an area with--
                            ``(i) a high minority population; and
                            ``(ii) a high environmental indicator.
            ``(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 one or more individuals are 
                receiving--
                            ``(i) assistance under a State program 
                        funded under part A of title IV of the Social 
                        Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
                            ``(ii) supplemental security income 
                        payments under title XVI of the Social Security 
                        Act (42 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.);
                            ``(iii) supplemental nutrition assistance 
                        program benefits under the Food and Nutrition 
                        Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.); or
                            ``(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
                    ``(B) that has an income that, as determined by the 
                State in which the household is located, does not 
                exceed the greater of--
                            ``(i) an amount equal to 150 percent of the 
                        poverty level for that State; and
                            ``(ii) an amount equal to 60 percent of the 
                        median income for that State.
            ``(5) Sanitation services.--The term `sanitation services' 
        has the meaning given the term in section 113(g).
    ``(b) Establishment of Pilot Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Administrator shall establish a 
        pilot program to provide grants to not less than 10 eligible 
        entities to assist low-income households and environmentally 
        at-risk households in maintaining access to sanitation services 
        and drinking water.
            ``(2) Lower income limit.--For purposes of the pilot 
        program under this section, an eligible entity may adopt an 
        income limit that is lower than the limit described in 
        subsection (a)(4)(B), except that the eligible entity may not 
        exclude a household from eligibility in a fiscal year solely on 
        the basis of household income if that income is less than 110 
        percent of the poverty level for the State.
    ``(c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this section, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report on 
the results of the pilot program under this section.''.
                                 <all>