Title: PIPE Act
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
Protecting Infrastructure and Promoting the Economy Act or the PIPE Act
This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a grant program for drinking water or wastewater infrastructure projects.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1837 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1837

To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to 
    establish a discretionary grant program for drinking water and 
      wastewater infrastructure projects, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 13, 2019

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to 
    establish a discretionary grant program for drinking water and 
      wastewater infrastructure projects, 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 ``Protecting Infrastructure and 
Promoting the Economy Act'' or the ``PIPE Act''.

SEC. 2. DRINKING WATER AND WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE DISCRETIONARY 
              GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
            (2) Program.--The term ``program'' means the drinking water 
        and wastewater infrastructure discretionary grant program 
        established under subsection (b).
    (b) Establishment of Program.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall establish a drinking 
water and wastewater discretionary grant program to provide grants on a 
competitive basis to eligible entities for investments in drinking 
water and wastewater infrastructure projects.
    (c) Eligible Entities.--An entity eligible to receive a grant under 
the program is--
            (1) a State;
            (2) a unit of local government;
            (3) a federally recognized Indian Tribe; or
            (4) a public or nonprofit water utility.
    (d) Eligible Projects.--A project eligible to be carried out with 
funds under the program includes--
            (1) 1 or more activities that are eligible for assistance 
        under section 603(c) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 
        (33 U.S.C. 1383(c));
            (2) 1 or more activities described in section 1452(a)(2) of 
        the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-12(a)(2)); and
            (3) any other drinking water infrastructure project or 
        wastewater infrastructure project that the Administrator 
        determines to appropriate.
    (e) Application.--
            (1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        the program, an eligible entity shall submit to the 
        Administrator an application in such manner and containing such 
        information as the Administrator may require.
            (2) Bundling of projects.--An eligible entity may include 
        more than 1 project in a single application.
            (3) Deadline.--An application shall be submitted to the 
        Administrator not later than 180 days after the date on which 
        the notice of funding opportunity and the selection criteria 
        are issued under subsection (f)(1)(B).
    (f) Selection.--
            (1) Criteria.--
                    (A) In general.--The Administrator shall establish 
                criteria in accordance with this subsection to use in 
                selecting projects to receive a grant under the 
                program.
                    (B) Publication.--Not later than 60 days after the 
                date on which funds are made available to carry out the 
                program for each fiscal year, the Administrator shall--
                            (i) issue a notice of funding opportunity 
                        for the program; and
                            (ii) include in the notice the selection 
                        criteria established under subparagraph (A).
            (2) Priority.--In selecting projects to receive a grant 
        under the program, the Administrator shall give priority to 
        projects--
                    (A) for which a Federal grant would assist in 
                completing an overall financing package for the 
                project; and
                    (B) that would help bring--
                            (i) public water systems (as defined in 
                        section 1401 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 
                        U.S.C. 300f)) into compliance with the Safe 
                        Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f et seq.); or
                            (ii) publicly owned treatment works (as 
                        defined in section 212 of the Federal Water 
                        Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1292)) into 
                        compliance with the Federal Water Pollution 
                        Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.).
            (3) Geographical distribution.--For each fiscal year, in 
        providing grants under the program, the Administrator shall 
        ensure that the funds are distributed--
                    (A) on an equitable geographical basis; and
                    (B) in a manner that balances the needs of urban, 
                suburban, and rural communities.
            (4) Deadline.--Not later than 1 year after the date on 
        which funds are made available to carry out the program for 
        each fiscal year, the Administrator shall select projects to 
        receive grants under the program.
    (g) Requirements.--
            (1) Total state limit.--For each fiscal year, the total 
        amount provided under the program for projects in a single 
        State shall not exceed 20 percent of the total amount made 
        available to carry out the program.
            (2) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost of a 
        project carried out with a grant under the program shall not 
        exceed 100 percent.
    (h) Regulations.--The Administrator may promulgate such regulations 
as may be necessary to carry out this section.
    (i) Davis-Bacon.--
            (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
        law, all laborers and mechanics employed by contractors or 
        subcontractors on projects carried out in whole or in part 
        using a grant under the program shall be paid wages at rates 
        not less than those prevailing on projects of a similar 
        character in the locality as determined by the Secretary of 
        Labor in accordance with subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 
        40, United States Code (commonly known as the ``Davis-Bacon 
        Act'').
            (2) Authority.--With respect to the labor standards 
        specified in paragraph (1), the Secretary of Labor shall have 
        the authority and functions set forth in Reorganization Plan 
        Numbered 14 of 1950 (64 Stat. 1267; 5 U.S.C. App.) and section 
        3145 of title 40, United States Code.
    (j) Buy America.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
Administrator may not provide a grant under the program for a project 
unless the project meets the requirements described in section 
1452(a)(4) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-12(a)(4)).
    (k) Reports.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Administrator shall submit to Congress and make publicly 
available a report on the implementation of the program.
    (l) Funding.--
            (1) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated to carry out this section $500,000,000 for 
        each of fiscal years 2020 through 2029.
            (2) Availability.--Funds made available to carry out this 
        section shall be available until expended.
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