Water Justice Act

Bill: 116-hr-4033
Sponsor: Rep. Kildee, Daniel T. [D-MI-5]
Introduced: 2019-07-25 in the House
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Air quality
Alaska
Appropriations
Arizona
Building construction
California
Child care and development
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Colorado
Congressional oversight
Ecology
Educational facilities and institutions
Elementary and secondary education
Energy efficiency and conservation
Environmental health
Food assistance and relief
Hawaii
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Hunting and fishing
Idaho
Income tax exclusion
Infrastructure development
Kansas
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Mexico
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Oregon
Poverty and welfare assistance
Public participation and lobbying
Public utilities and utility rates
Residential rehabilitation and home repair
Rural conditions and development
Solid waste and recycling
South Dakota
State and local finance
Texas
Utah
Washington State
Water quality
Water resources funding
Water use and supply
Watersheds
Wilderness and natural areas, wildlife refuges, wild rivers, habitats
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection
Wyoming

Summary:
action_date: 2019-07-25
text: 

Water Justice Act

 
This bill addresses affordable access to clean water by establishing, expanding, or extending various programs or requirements related to drinking water infrastructure, water pollution control, water supply, water recycling, water efficiency, or conservation programs.
 
Specifically, the bill provides $50 billion in FY2020 supplemental appropriations to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for programs that reduce contaminants of concern in drinking water, such as grant programs for lead testing or remediation efforts in schools, child care programs, or high-risk communities. The funds are designated as an emergency requirement, which exempts the funds from discretionary spending limits and other budget enforcement rules. 
 
Each year, the EPA must obligate specified amounts of funding for several water infrastructure programs, including state revolving fund programs and grant programs for managing or controlling water pollution. 
 
The EPA must also establish a grant program to help communities that serve environmentally at-risk households and low-income households afford the costs for remediating contaminated drinking water. Further, the Department of Health and Human Services may make grants to states to assist low-income households in meeting their needs for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services.
 
In addition, the EPA must promulgate an interim national primary drinking water regulation for perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS, which may have adverse human health effects.
 
Finally, the bill establishes or reauthorizes a variety of programs that provide financial support for water supply projects, water recycling or reuse projects, rural water systems, water efficiency improvements, or conservation programs.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-09-04
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit.
action_date: 2019-08-30
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife.
action_date: 2019-07-26
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change.
action_date: 2019-07-26
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
action_date: 2019-07-25
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, Ways and Means, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-07-25
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, Ways and Means, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-07-25
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, Ways and Means, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-07-25
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, Ways and Means, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-07-25
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, Ways and Means, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-07-25
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, Ways and Means, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2019-07-25
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2019-07-25
text: Introduced in House