Grassroots Rural and Small Community Water Systems Assistance Act

Bill: 114-s-611
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS]
Introduced: 2015-02-27
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Executive agency funding and structure

Rural conditions and development

Water quality

Water resources funding

Water use and supply
Latest action: action_date: 2015-12-11
text: Became Public Law No: 114-98.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-02-27
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Grassroots Rural and Small Community Water Systems Assistance Act </b></p> <p>This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to reauthorize through FY2020 the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) program providing technical assistance to small public water systems in complying with national primary drinking water regulations.</p> <p>The EPA may use the funds to provide grants or cooperative agreements to nonprofit organizations that provide onsite technical assistance; circuit-rider technical assistance programs; multistate, regional technical assistance programs; onsite and regional training; assistance with implementing source water protection plans; and assistance with implementation monitoring plans, rules, regulations, and water security enhancements. </p> <p>In order to ensure that technical assistance funding is used in a manner that is most beneficial to the small and rural communities, the EPA must give preference to nonprofit organizations that are the most qualified and experienced and that the small community water systems find to be the most beneficial and effective.</p> <p>

action_date: 2015-05-18
action_desc: Reported to Senate without amendment
text: <p>(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)</p> <p><b>Grassroots Rural and Small Community Water Systems Assistance Act </b></p> <p>(Sec. 4) This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to reauthorize through FY2020 the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) program providing technical assistance to small public water systems in complying with national primary drinking water regulations.</p> <p>The EPA may use the funds to provide grants or cooperative agreements to nonprofit organizations that provide onsite technical assistance; circuit-rider technical assistance programs; multistate, regional technical assistance programs; onsite and regional training; assistance with implementing source water protection plans; and assistance with implementation monitoring plans, rules, regulations, and water security enhancements. Those grants and cooperative agreements may not be used for citizen suits brought under that Act.</p> <p>In order to ensure that technical assistance funding is used in a manner that is most beneficial to the small and rural communities, the EPA must give preference to nonprofit organizations that are the most qualified and experienced and that the small community water systems find to be the most beneficial and effective.</p>

action_date: 2015-06-09
action_desc: Passed Senate without amendment
text: <p>(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the Senate reported version is repeated here.)</p> <p><b>Grassroots Rural and Small Community Water Systems Assistance Act </b></p> <p>(Sec. 4) This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to reauthorize through FY2020 the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) program providing technical assistance to small public water systems in complying with national primary drinking water regulations.</p> <p>The EPA may use the funds to provide grants or cooperative agreements to nonprofit organizations that provide onsite technical assistance; circuit-rider technical assistance programs; multistate, regional technical assistance programs; onsite and regional training; assistance with implementing source water protection plans; and assistance with implementation monitoring plans, rules, regulations, and water security enhancements. Those grants and cooperative agreements may not be used for citizen suits brought under that Act.</p> <p>In order to ensure that technical assistance funding is used in a manner that is most beneficial to the small and rural communities, the EPA must give preference to nonprofit organizations that are the most qualified and experienced and that the small community water systems find to be the most beneficial and effective.</p>

action_date: 2015-11-19
action_desc: Reported to House without amendment
text: <p>(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the Senate reported version is repeated here.)</p> <p><b>Grassroots Rural and Small Community Water Systems Assistance Act </b></p> <p>(Sec. 4) This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to reauthorize through FY2020 the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) program providing technical assistance to small public water systems in complying with national primary drinking water regulations.</p> <p>The EPA may use the funds to provide grants or cooperative agreements to nonprofit organizations that provide onsite technical assistance; circuit-rider technical assistance programs; multistate, regional technical assistance programs; onsite and regional training; assistance with implementing source water protection plans; and assistance with implementation monitoring plans, rules, regulations, and water security enhancements. Those grants and cooperative agreements may not be used for citizen suits brought under that Act.</p> <p>In order to ensure that technical assistance funding is used in a manner that is most beneficial to the small and rural communities, the EPA must give preference to nonprofit organizations that are the most qualified and experienced and that the small community water systems find to be the most beneficial and effective.</p>

action_date: 2015-11-30
action_desc: Passed House without amendment
text: <p>(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the Senate reported version is repeated here.)</p> <p><b>Grassroots Rural and Small Community Water Systems Assistance Act </b></p> <p>(Sec. 4) This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to reauthorize through FY2020 the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) program providing technical assistance to small public water systems in complying with national primary drinking water regulations.</p> <p>The EPA may use the funds to provide grants or cooperative agreements to nonprofit organizations that provide onsite technical assistance; circuit-rider technical assistance programs; multistate, regional technical assistance programs; onsite and regional training; assistance with implementing source water protection plans; and assistance with implementation monitoring plans, rules, regulations, and water security enhancements. Those grants and cooperative agreements may not be used for citizen suits brought under that Act.</p> <p>In order to ensure that technical assistance funding is used in a manner that is most beneficial to the small and rural communities, the EPA must give preference to nonprofit organizations that are the most qualified and experienced and that the small community water systems find to be the most beneficial and effective.</p>

action_date: 2015-12-11
action_desc: Public Law
text: <p>(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the Senate reported version is repeated here.)</p> <p><b>Grassroots Rural and Small Community Water Systems Assistance Act </b></p> <p>(Sec. 4) This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to reauthorize through FY2020 the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) program providing technical assistance to small public water systems in complying with national primary drinking water regulations.</p> <p>The EPA may use the funds to provide grants or cooperative agreements to nonprofit organizations that provide onsite technical assistance; circuit-rider technical assistance programs; multistate, regional technical assistance programs; onsite and regional training; assistance with implementing source water protection plans; and assistance with implementation monitoring plans, rules, regulations, and water security enhancements. Those grants and cooperative agreements may not be used for citizen suits brought under that Act.</p> <p>In order to ensure that technical assistance funding is used in a manner that is most beneficial to the small and rural communities, the EPA must give preference to nonprofit organizations that are the most qualified and experienced and that the small community water systems find to be the most beneficial and effective.</p>

tv_txt: II 114th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 611 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 27, 2015 Mr. Wicker (for himself, Ms. Heitkamp , Mr. Boozman , Mr. Crapo , Mr. Risch , Mr. Franken , Mr. Moran , Mr. Schatz , Ms. Klobuchar , Mr. Barrasso , Mr. Enzi , Ms. Hirono , Mr. Blunt , Mr. Tester , Mr. Bennet , and Mr. Inhofe ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works A BILL To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to reauthorize technical assistance to small public water systems, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Grassroots Rural and Small Community Water Systems Assistance Act . 2. Findings Congress finds that— (1) the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 ( Public Law 104–182 ) authorized technical assistance for small and rural communities to assist those communities in complying with regulations promulgated pursuant to the Safe Drinking Water Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300f et seq. ); (2) technical assistance and compliance training— (A) ensures that Federal regulations do not overwhelm the resources of small and rural communities; and (B) provides small and rural communities lacking technical resources with the necessary skills to improve and protect water resources; (3) across the United States, more than 90 percent of the community water systems serve a population of less than 10,000 individuals; (4) small and rural communities have the greatest difficulty providing safe, affordable public drinking water and wastewater services due to limited economies of scale and lack of technical expertise; and (5) in addition to being the main source of compliance assistance, small and rural water technical assistance has been the main source of emergency response assistance in small and rural communities. 3. Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) to assist small and rural communities most effectively, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency should prioritize the types of technical assistance that are most beneficial to those communities, based on input from those communities; and (2) local support is the key to making Federal assistance initiatives work in small and rural communities to the maximum benefit. 4. Funding priorities Section 1442(e) of the Safe Drinking Water Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300j–1(e) ) is amended— (1) by designating the first through seventh sentences as paragraphs (1) through (7), respectively; (2) in paragraph (5) (as so designated), by striking 1997 through 2003 and inserting 2015 through 2020 ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (8) Nonprofit organizations (A) In general The Administrator may use amounts made available to carry out this section to provide grants or cooperative agreements to nonprofit organizations that provide to small public water systems onsite technical assistance, circuit-rider technical assistance programs, multistate, regional technical assistance programs, onsite and regional training, assistance with implementing source water protection plans, and assistance with implementing monitoring plans, rules, regulations, and water security enhancements. (B) Preference To ensure that technical assistance funding is used in a manner that is most beneficial to the small and rural communities of a State, the Administrator shall give preference under this paragraph to nonprofit organizations that, as determined by the Administrator, are the most qualified and experienced in providing training and technical assistance to small public water systems and that the small community water systems in that State find to be the most beneficial and effective. (C) Limitation No grant or cooperative agreement provided or otherwise made available under this section may be used for litigation pursuant to section 1449. .

tv_txt: II Calendar No. 83 114th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 611 [Report No. 114–47] IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 27, 2015 Mr. Wicker (for himself, Ms. Heitkamp , Mr. Boozman , Mr. Crapo , Mr. Risch , Mr. Franken , Mr. Moran , Mr. Schatz , Ms. Klobuchar , Mr. Barrasso , Mr. Enzi , Ms. Hirono , Mr. Blunt , Mr. Tester , Mr. Bennet , Mr. Inhofe , Mrs. Capito , Mr. Kirk , Mr. Manchin , and Mr. Donnelly ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works May 18, 2015 Reported by Mr. Inhofe , without amendment A BILL To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to reauthorize technical assistance to small public water systems, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Grassroots Rural and Small Community Water Systems Assistance Act . 2. Findings Congress finds that— (1) the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 ( Public Law 104–182 ) authorized technical assistance for small and rural communities to assist those communities in complying with regulations promulgated pursuant to the Safe Drinking Water Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300f et seq. ); (2) technical assistance and compliance training— (A) ensures that Federal regulations do not overwhelm the resources of small and rural communities; and (B) provides small and rural communities lacking technical resources with the necessary skills to improve and protect water resources; (3) across the United States, more than 90 percent of the community water systems serve a population of less than 10,000 individuals; (4) small and rural communities have the greatest difficulty providing safe, affordable public drinking water and wastewater services due to limited economies of scale and lack of technical expertise; and (5) in addition to being the main source of compliance assistance, small and rural water technical assistance has been the main source of emergency response assistance in small and rural communities. 3. Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) to assist small and rural communities most effectively, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency should prioritize the types of technical assistance that are most beneficial to those communities, based on input from those communities; and (2) local support is the key to making Federal assistance initiatives work in small and rural communities to the maximum benefit. 4. Funding priorities Section 1442(e) of the Safe Drinking Water Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300j–1(e) ) is amended— (1) by designating the first through seventh sentences as paragraphs (1) through (7), respectively; (2) in paragraph (5) (as so designated), by striking 1997 through 2003 and inserting 2015 through 2020 ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (8) Nonprofit organizations (A) In general The Administrator may use amounts made available to carry out this section to provide grants or cooperative agreements to nonprofit organizations that provide to small public water systems onsite technical assistance, circuit-rider technical assistance programs, multistate, regional technical assistance programs, onsite and regional training, assistance with implementing source water protection plans, and assistance with implementing monitoring plans, rules, regulations, and water security enhancements. (B) Preference To ensure that technical assistance funding is used in a manner that is most beneficial to the small and rural communities of a State, the Administrator shall give preference under this paragraph to nonprofit organizations that, as determined by the Administrator, are the most qualified and experienced in providing training and technical assistance to small public water systems and that the small community water systems in that State find to be the most beneficial and effective. (C) Limitation No grant or cooperative agreement provided or otherwise made available under this section may be used for litigation pursuant to section 1449. .

May 18, 2015 Reported without amendment

tv_txt: 114th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 611 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES AN ACT To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to reauthorize technical assistance to small public water systems, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Grassroots Rural and Small Community Water Systems Assistance Act . 2. Findings Congress finds that— (1) the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 ( Public Law 104–182 ) authorized technical assistance for small and rural communities to assist those communities in complying with regulations promulgated pursuant to the Safe Drinking Water Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300f et seq. ); (2) technical assistance and compliance training— (A) ensures that Federal regulations do not overwhelm the resources of small and rural communities; and (B) provides small and rural communities lacking technical resources with the necessary skills to improve and protect water resources; (3) across the United States, more than 90 percent of the community water systems serve a population of less than 10,000 individuals; (4) small and rural communities have the greatest difficulty providing safe, affordable public drinking water and wastewater services due to limited economies of scale and lack of technical expertise; and (5) in addition to being the main source of compliance assistance, small and rural water technical assistance has been the main source of emergency response assistance in small and rural communities. 3. Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) to assist small and rural communities most effectively, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency should prioritize the types of technical assistance that are most beneficial to those communities, based on input from those communities; and (2) local support is the key to making Federal assistance initiatives work in small and rural communities to the maximum benefit. 4. Funding priorities Section 1442(e) of the Safe Drinking Water Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300j–1(e) ) is amended— (1) by designating the first through seventh sentences as paragraphs (1) through (7), respectively; (2) in paragraph (5) (as so designated), by striking 1997 through 2003 and inserting 2015 through 2020 ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (8) Nonprofit organizations (A) In general The Administrator may use amounts made available to carry out this section to provide grants or cooperative agreements to nonprofit organizations that provide to small public water systems onsite technical assistance, circuit-rider technical assistance programs, multistate, regional technical assistance programs, onsite and regional training, assistance with implementing source water protection plans, and assistance with implementing monitoring plans, rules, regulations, and water security enhancements. (B) Preference To ensure that technical assistance funding is used in a manner that is most beneficial to the small and rural communities of a State, the Administrator shall give preference under this paragraph to nonprofit organizations that, as determined by the Administrator, are the most qualified and experienced in providing training and technical assistance to small public water systems and that the small community water systems in that State find to be the most beneficial and effective. (C) Limitation No grant or cooperative agreement provided or otherwise made available under this section may be used for litigation pursuant to section 1449. .

Passed the Senate June 9, 2015. Secretary

tv_txt: IC 114th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 611 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 10, 2015 Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce AN ACT To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to reauthorize technical assistance to small public water systems, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Grassroots Rural and Small Community Water Systems Assistance Act . 2. Findings Congress finds that— (1) the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 ( Public Law 104–182 ) authorized technical assistance for small and rural communities to assist those communities in complying with regulations promulgated pursuant to the Safe Drinking Water Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300f et seq. ); (2) technical assistance and compliance training— (A) ensures that Federal regulations do not overwhelm the resources of small and rural communities; and (B) provides small and rural communities lacking technical resources with the necessary skills to improve and protect water resources; (3) across the United States, more than 90 percent of the community water systems serve a population of less than 10,000 individuals; (4) small and rural communities have the greatest difficulty providing safe, affordable public drinking water and wastewater services due to limited economies of scale and lack of technical expertise; and (5) in addition to being the main source of compliance assistance, small and rural water technical assistance has been the main source of emergency response assistance in small and rural communities. 3. Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) to assist small and rural communities most effectively, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency should prioritize the types of technical assistance that are most beneficial to those communities, based on input from those communities; and (2) local support is the key to making Federal assistance initiatives work in small and rural communities to the maximum benefit. 4. Funding priorities Section 1442(e) of the Safe Drinking Water Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300j–1(e) ) is amended— (1) by designating the first through seventh sentences as paragraphs (1) through (7), respectively; (2) in paragraph (5) (as so designated), by striking 1997 through 2003 and inserting 2015 through 2020 ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (8) Nonprofit organizations (A) In general The Administrator may use amounts made available to carry out this section to provide grants or cooperative agreements to nonprofit organizations that provide to small public water systems onsite technical assistance, circuit-rider technical assistance programs, multistate, regional technical assistance programs, onsite and regional training, assistance with implementing source water protection plans, and assistance with implementing monitoring plans, rules, regulations, and water security enhancements. (B) Preference To ensure that technical assistance funding is used in a manner that is most beneficial to the small and rural communities of a State, the Administrator shall give preference under this paragraph to nonprofit organizations that, as determined by the Administrator, are the most qualified and experienced in providing training and technical assistance to small public water systems and that the small community water systems in that State find to be the most beneficial and effective. (C) Limitation No grant or cooperative agreement provided or otherwise made available under this section may be used for litigation pursuant to section 1449. .

Passed the Senate June 9, 2015. Julie E. Adams, Secretary

tv_txt: ID Union Calendar No. 264 114th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 611 [Report No. 114–346] IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 10, 2015 Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce November 19, 2015 Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed A BILL To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to reauthorize technical assistance to small public water systems, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Grassroots Rural and Small Community Water Systems Assistance Act . 2. Findings Congress finds that— (1) the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 ( Public Law 104–182 ) authorized technical assistance for small and rural communities to assist those communities in complying with regulations promulgated pursuant to the Safe Drinking Water Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300f et seq. ); (2) technical assistance and compliance training— (A) ensures that Federal regulations do not overwhelm the resources of small and rural communities; and (B) provides small and rural communities lacking technical resources with the necessary skills to improve and protect water resources; (3) across the United States, more than 90 percent of the community water systems serve a population of less than 10,000 individuals; (4) small and rural communities have the greatest difficulty providing safe, affordable public drinking water and wastewater services due to limited economies of scale and lack of technical expertise; and (5) in addition to being the main source of compliance assistance, small and rural water technical assistance has been the main source of emergency response assistance in small and rural communities. 3. Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) to assist small and rural communities most effectively, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency should prioritize the types of technical assistance that are most beneficial to those communities, based on input from those communities; and (2) local support is the key to making Federal assistance initiatives work in small and rural communities to the maximum benefit. 4. Funding priorities Section 1442(e) of the Safe Drinking Water Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300j–1(e) ) is amended— (1) by designating the first through seventh sentences as paragraphs (1) through (7), respectively; (2) in paragraph (5) (as so designated), by striking 1997 through 2003 and inserting 2015 through 2020 ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (8) Nonprofit organizations (A) In general The Administrator may use amounts made available to carry out this section to provide grants or cooperative agreements to nonprofit organizations that provide to small public water systems onsite technical assistance, circuit-rider technical assistance programs, multistate, regional technical assistance programs, onsite and regional training, assistance with implementing source water protection plans, and assistance with implementing monitoring plans, rules, regulations, and water security enhancements. (B) Preference To ensure that technical assistance funding is used in a manner that is most beneficial to the small and rural communities of a State, the Administrator shall give preference under this paragraph to nonprofit organizations that, as determined by the Administrator, are the most qualified and experienced in providing training and technical assistance to small public water systems and that the small community water systems in that State find to be the most beneficial and effective. (C) Limitation No grant or cooperative agreement provided or otherwise made available under this section may be used for litigation pursuant to section 1449. .

November 19, 2015 Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

tv_txt: One Hundred Fourteenth Congress of the United States of America 1st Session Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, the sixth day of January, two thousand and fifteen S. 611 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES AN ACT To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to reauthorize technical assistance to small public water systems, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Grassroots Rural and Small Community Water Systems Assistance Act . 2. Findings Congress finds that— (1) the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 ( Public Law 104–182 ) authorized technical assistance for small and rural communities to assist those communities in complying with regulations promulgated pursuant to the Safe Drinking Water Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300f et seq. ); (2) technical assistance and compliance training— (A) ensures that Federal regulations do not overwhelm the resources of small and rural communities; and (B) provides small and rural communities lacking technical resources with the necessary skills to improve and protect water resources; (3) across the United States, more than 90 percent of the community water systems serve a population of less than 10,000 individuals; (4) small and rural communities have the greatest difficulty providing safe, affordable public drinking water and wastewater services due to limited economies of scale and lack of technical expertise; and (5) in addition to being the main source of compliance assistance, small and rural water technical assistance has been the main source of emergency response assistance in small and rural communities. 3. Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) to assist small and rural communities most effectively, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency should prioritize the types of technical assistance that are most beneficial to those communities, based on input from those communities; and (2) local support is the key to making Federal assistance initiatives work in small and rural communities to the maximum benefit. 4. Funding priorities Section 1442(e) of the Safe Drinking Water Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300j–1(e) ) is amended— (1) by designating the first through seventh sentences as paragraphs (1) through (7), respectively; (2) in paragraph (5) (as so designated), by striking 1997 through 2003 and inserting 2015 through 2020 ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (8) Nonprofit organizations (A) In general The Administrator may use amounts made available to carry out this section to provide grants or cooperative agreements to nonprofit organizations that provide to small public water systems onsite technical assistance, circuit-rider technical assistance programs, multistate, regional technical assistance programs, onsite and regional training, assistance with implementing source water protection plans, and assistance with implementing monitoring plans, rules, regulations, and water security enhancements. (B) Preference To ensure that technical assistance funding is used in a manner that is most beneficial to the small and rural communities of a State, the Administrator shall give preference under this paragraph to nonprofit organizations that, as determined by the Administrator, are the most qualified and experienced in providing training and technical assistance to small public water systems and that the small community water systems in that State find to be the most beneficial and effective. (C) Limitation No grant or cooperative agreement provided or otherwise made available under this section may be used for litigation pursuant to section 1449. .

Speaker of the House of Representatives Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate