[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2588 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2588

   To provide grants to eligible entities to reduce lead in drinking 
                                 water.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 25, 2016

Mr. Cardin (for himself and Mrs. Boxer) introduced the following bill; 
 which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and 
                              Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To provide grants to eligible entities to reduce lead in drinking 
                                 water.

    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 ``Grants and Education To Tackle 
Homeowner Exposure to Lead Ensuring America Drinks Only from Unpolluted 
Taps Act of 2016'' or the ``GET THE LEAD OUT Act of 2016''.

SEC. 2. REDUCING LEAD IN DRINKING WATER.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) a community water system (as defined in section 
                1401 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f));
                    (B) a system located in an area governed by an 
                Indian Tribe (as defined in that section);
                    (C) a nontransient noncommunity water system;
                    (D) a qualified nonprofit organization, as 
                determined by the Administrator; and
                    (E) a municipality or State, interstate, or 
                intermunicipal agency.
            (2) Lead reduction project.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``lead reduction 
                project'' means a project or activity the primary 
                purpose of which is to reduce the level of lead in 
                water for human consumption by--
                            (i) replacement of publicly owned portions 
                        of lead service lines;
                            (ii) testing, planning, or other relevant 
                        activities, as determined by the Administrator, 
                        to identify and address conditions (including 
                        corrosion control) that contribute to increased 
                        lead levels in water for human consumption;
                            (iii) assistance to low-income homeowners 
                        to replace privately owned portions of service 
                        lines, pipes, fittings, or fixtures that 
                        contain lead; and
                            (iv) education of consumers regarding 
                        measures to reduce exposure to lead from 
                        drinking water or other sources.
                    (B) Limitation.--The term ``lead reduction 
                project'' does not include a partial lead service line 
                replacement if, at the conclusion of that service line 
                replacement, drinking water is delivered to a household 
                through a publicly or privately owned portion of a lead 
                service line.
            (3) Low-income.--The term ``low-income'', with respect to 
        an individual provided assistance under this section, has such 
        meaning as may be given the term by the head of the 
        municipality or State, interstate, or intermunicipal agency 
        with jurisdiction over the area to which assistance is 
        provided.
            (4) Municipality.--The term ``municipality'' means--
                    (A) a city, town, borough, county, parish, 
                district, association, or other public entity 
                established by, or pursuant to, applicable State law; 
                and
                    (B) an Indian tribe (as defined in section 4 of the 
                Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act 
                (25 U.S.C. 450b)).
    (b) Grant Program.--
            (1) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
        of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall establish a 
        grant program to provide assistance to eligible entities for 
        lead reduction projects in the United States.
            (2) Evaluation.--In providing assistance under this 
        section, the Administrator shall evaluate--
                    (A) that an eligible entity applying for assistance 
                has identified the source of lead in water for human 
                consumption; and
                    (B) the means by which the proposed lead reduction 
                project would reduce lead levels in the applicable 
                water system.
            (3) Priority application.--In providing grants under this 
        subsection, the Administrator shall give priority to an 
        eligible entity that--
                    (A) carries out a lead reduction project at a 
                public water system or nontransient noncommunity water 
                system that has exceeded the lead action level 
                established by the Administrator at any time during the 
                3-year period preceding the date of submission of the 
                application of the eligible entity;
                    (B) addresses lead levels in water for human 
                consumption at a school, daycare, or other facility 
                that primarily serves children or another vulnerable 
                human subpopulation; or
                    (C) addresses such priority criteria as the 
                Administrator may establish, consistent with the goal 
                of reducing lead levels of concern.
            (4) Cost sharing.--
                    (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the 
                non-Federal share of the total cost of a project funded 
                by a grant under this subsection shall be not less than 
                20 percent.
                    (B) Waiver.--The Administrator may reduce or 
                eliminate the non-Federal share under subparagraph (A) 
                for reasons of affordability, as the Administrator 
                determines to be appropriate.
            (5) Low-income assistance.--
                    (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), an 
                eligible entity may use a grant provided under this 
                subsection to provide assistance to low-income 
                homeowners to carry out lead reduction projects.
                    (B) Limitation.--The amount of a grant provided to 
                a low-income homeowner under this paragraph shall not 
                exceed the cost of replacement of the privately owned 
                portion of the service line.
            (6) Special consideration for lead service line 
        replacement.--In carrying out lead service line replacement 
        using a grant under this subsection, an eligible entity shall--
                    (A) notify customers of the planned replacement of 
                any publicly owned portion of the lead service line;
                    (B) offer--
                            (i) in the case of a homeowner that is not 
                        low-income, to replace the privately owned 
                        portion of the lead service line at the cost of 
                        replacement; and
                            (ii) in the case of a low-income homeowner, 
                        to replace the privately owned portion of the 
                        lead service line and any pipes, fittings, and 
                        fixtures that contain lead at a cost that is 
                        equal to the difference between--
                                    (I) the cost of replacement; and
                                    (II) the amount of low-income 
                                assistance available to the homeowner 
                                under paragraph (5);
                    (C) notify each customer that a planned replacement 
                of any publicly owned portion of a lead service line 
                that is funded by a grant made under this subsection 
                will not be carried out unless the customer consents to 
                the simultaneous replacement of the privately owned 
                portion of the lead service line; and
                    (D) demonstrate that the eligible entity has 
                considered multiple options for reducing lead in 
                drinking water, including an evaluation of options for 
                corrosion control.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this Act $60,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2017 through 2021.
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