[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7241 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7241

 To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to establish 
an emergency preparedness and response technical assistance program to 
   assist entities that operate rural water or wastewater systems in 
     preparing for and responding to natural or man-made disasters.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 5, 2024

 Mr. Stauber (for himself, Mr. Finstad, and Mrs. Fischbach) introduced 
 the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to establish 
an emergency preparedness and response technical assistance program to 
   assist entities that operate rural water or wastewater systems in 
     preparing for and responding to natural or man-made disasters.

    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 ``Rural Water System Disaster 
Preparedness and Assistance Act''.

SEC. 2. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 
              PROGRAM.

    Section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act 
(7 U.S.C. 1926(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(27) Emergency preparedness and response technical 
        assistance program.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall establish an 
                emergency preparedness and response technical 
                assistance program to provide grants to eligible 
                entities to assist associations described in paragraph 
                (1) that operate rural water or wastewater systems in 
                preparing for and responding to natural or man-made 
                disasters, as determined by the Secretary.
                    ``(B) Eligible entities.--An entity eligible to 
                receive a grant under subparagraph (A) is a nonprofit 
                organization that--
                            ``(i) has demonstrated experience providing 
                        emergency technical assistance for disaster 
                        preparation, recovery, and response activities 
                        to water and wastewater utilities nationwide; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) has the capacity to deploy personnel 
                        that possess--
                                    ``(I) an active water or wastewater 
                                system operators' license; or
                                    ``(II) knowledge of water and 
                                wastewater utilities necessary to carry 
                                out activities described in 
                                subparagraph (C).
                    ``(C) Eligible activities.--An eligible entity that 
                receives a grant under subparagraph (A) shall use the 
                grant--
                            ``(i) to provide on-site personnel and 
                        equipment to assist with water and wastewater 
                        systems in the event of a disaster;
                            ``(ii) to coordinate with statewide 
                        emergency response networks to assist with 
                        water and wastewater systems;
                            ``(iii) to facilitate the development of 
                        disaster action plans between associations 
                        described in subparagraph (A), units of local 
                        government, the Federal Emergency Management 
                        Agency, and State emergency management 
                        agencies;
                            ``(iv) to improve resiliency and mitigation 
                        planning with respect to water or wastewater 
                        systems;
                            ``(v) to provide geographic information 
                        system mapping of water and wastewater systems;
                            ``(vi) to prepare or update predisaster 
                        vulnerability assessments, emergency response 
                        plans, communication protocols, or hazard 
                        recognition and evaluation skills with respect 
                        to water and wastewater systems;
                            ``(vii) to conduct preliminary damage 
                        assessments of critical infrastructure in the 
                        event of a disaster;
                            ``(viii) to provide emergency services with 
                        respect to water and wastewater systems to 
                        restore service in the event of a disaster, 
                        including--
                                    ``(I) pump and motor evaluation and 
                                repair;
                                    ``(II) water disinfection and 
                                flushing;
                                    ``(III) leak detection;
                                    ``(IV) line repair;
                                    ``(V) water main and valve 
                                location;
                                    ``(VI) emergency power generation;
                                    ``(VII) bypass pumping;
                                    ``(VIII) water treatment; and
                                    ``(IX) maintaining safety measures;
                            ``(ix) to address outstanding deficiencies 
                        focused on resolving health-based regulatory, 
                        operational, financial, and managerial 
                        deficiencies that impact the sustainability of 
                        water and wastewater systems;
                            ``(x) to assist with application and 
                        reporting requirements for Federal and State 
                        agencies, including the Federal Emergency 
                        Management Agency and insurance recovery 
                        claims, with respect to water and wastewater 
                        systems; and
                            ``(xi) to provide for disaster preparation, 
                        support, and response activities targeted to 
                        disadvantaged communities that lack the 
                        financial resources and human capital necessary 
                        to adequately address significant health, 
                        safety, or sanitary concerns with respect to 
                        the water and wastewater systems of those 
                        communities.
                    ``(D) Use of funds.--
                            ``(i) In general.--An eligible entity that 
                        receives a grant under subparagraph (A) may use 
                        the grant for salaries, supplies, and expenses 
                        relating to the activities described in 
                        subparagraph (C).
                            ``(ii) Limitation.--Not more than 25 
                        percent of the amount of a grant under 
                        subparagraph (A) may be used to purchase or 
                        reimburse the rental costs of appropriate 
                        emergency equipment, as determined by the 
                        Secretary.
                    ``(E) Restriction.--An eligible entity that 
                receives a grant under subparagraph (A) may not use the 
                grant funds to pay for eligible activities for which 
                the eligible entity receives other Federal funds.
                    ``(F) Authorization of appropriations.--There is 
                authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
                paragraph $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 
                through 2028.''.
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