April 8, 2025
Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Ms. Collins, Mr. King, Mr. Kelly, and Mr. Heinrich) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works
To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to modify eligibility for the State response to contaminants 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. Technical fix for State response to contaminants program
Section 1459A(j) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–19a(j)) is amended—
(1)
in paragraph (1)—
(A)
in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking subsection (c)(2)
and inserting clause (i) or (ii) of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) or a drinking water well owner described in subparagraph (B) of that paragraph
;
(B)
by striking contaminant—
and all that follows through to—
in subparagraph (A) in the matter preceding clause (i) and inserting contaminant that is determined by the State—
;
(C)
by striking subparagraph (B);
(D)
by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and indenting appropriately;
(E)
in subparagraph (A) (as so redesignated)—
(i)
by inserting to
before be present
;
(ii)
by striking serving,
and inserting serving a community
; and
(iii)
by striking for, that community
; and
(F)
in subparagraph (B) (as so redesignated)—
(i)
by inserting to
before potentially
; and
(ii)
by striking ; and
at the end and inserting a period; and
(2)
by adding at the end the following:
(3) Eligibility for assistance or as a beneficiary of assistance
For purposes of this subsection, the Administrator may issue a grant to a State—
(A)
that is requesting a grant on behalf of—
(i)
a community that, under the affordability criteria established by the State under section 1452(d)(3), is determined by the State to be—
(I)
a disadvantaged community; or
(II)
a community that may become a disadvantaged community as a result of carrying out an activity described in paragraph (1); or
(ii)
a community with a population of fewer than 10,000 individuals that the Administrator determines does not have the capacity to incur debt sufficient to finance an activity described in paragraph (1); or
(B)
for the benefit of 1 or more owners of drinking water wells that are not public water systems and are not connected to a public water system.