[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8032 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8032

To authorize the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 16, 2024

 Mr. Sorensen (for himself, Mrs. Chavez-DeRemer, Ms. Schrier, and Mrs. 
 Gonzalez-Colon) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to 
 the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the Low-Income Household Water Assistance 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Low-Income Household Water 
Assistance Program Establishment Act''.

SEC. 2. LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLD WATER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
            (2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
        State, or Indian tribe, that is eligible to receive or 
        previously received a grant under the Low-Income Home Energy 
        Assistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 8621 et seq.).
            (3) Household.--The term ``household'' means any individual 
        or group of individuals who are living together as 1 economic 
        unit.
            (4) Low-income household.--The term ``low-income 
        household'' means a household--
                    (A) in which 1 or more individuals are receiving--
                            (i) assistance under the State program 
                        funded under part A of title IV of the Social 
                        Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
                            (ii) supplemental security income payments 
                        under title XVI of the Social Security Act (42 
                        U.S.C. 1381 et seq.);
                            (iii) supplemental nutrition assistance 
                        program benefits under the Food and Nutrition 
                        Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.);
                            (iv) payments under--
                                    (I) section 1315, 1521, 1541, or 
                                1542 of title 38, United States Code; 
                                or
                                    (II) section 306 of the Veterans' 
                                and Survivors' Pension Improvement Act 
                                of 1978 (38 U.S.C. 1521 note; Public 
                                Law 95-588); or
                            (v) assistance under the Low-Income Home 
                        Energy Assistance Act of 1981; or
                    (B) that has an income that, as determined by the 
                State or Indian tribe, does not exceed the greatest 
                of--
                            (i) an amount equal to 150 percent of the 
                        poverty level;
                            (ii) an amount equal to 60 percent of the 
                        State median income for that State or the State 
                        in which the Indian tribe is primarily located; 
                        and
                            (iii) an amount equal to 60 percent of the 
                        area median income for the area in which the 
                        household is located.
            (5) Poverty level.--The term ``poverty level'' means the 
        poverty line determined pursuant to section 673 of the 
        Community Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902).
            (6) Public water system.--The term ``public water system'' 
        has the meaning given the term in section 1401 of the Safe 
        Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f).
            (7) Qualified nonprofit organization.--The term ``qualified 
        nonprofit organization'' includes a nonprofit organization 
        described in section 680(a)(3)(B) of the Community Services 
        Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9921(a)(3)(B)).
            (8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services.
            (9) State.--The term ``State'' means any of the 50 States, 
        the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 
        Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the 
        Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
            (10) Treatment works.--The term ``treatment works'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 212 of the Federal Water 
        Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1292).
    (b) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
        Administrator, shall establish the Low-Income Household Water 
        Assistance Program to award grants, in accordance with 
        paragraph (2), to eligible entities to provide funds to owners 
        and operators of public water systems or treatment works to 
        assist low-income households in paying arrearages and other 
        rates charged to such households for drinking water or 
        wastewater services.
            (2) Formula.--In awarding grants under this subsection to 
        eligible entities, the Secretary shall--
                    (A) allot amounts made available for grants under 
                this subsection to an eligible entity that is a State 
                or Indian tribe based on--
                            (i) the percentage of households in the 
                        State, or under the jurisdiction of the Indian 
                        tribe, with income equal to or less than 150 
                        percent of the poverty level; or
                            (ii) the percentage of households in the 
                        State, or under the jurisdiction of the Indian 
                        tribe, that spend more than 30 percent of 
                        monthly income on housing; and
                    (B) reserve up to 3 percent of amounts made 
                available for grants under this subsection to eligible 
                entities that are Indian tribes.
    (c) Rural, Underserved, and Indian Tribe Access Grants.--The 
Secretary shall provide grants to qualified nonprofit organizations to 
assist owners or operators of public water systems or treatment works, 
in rural or underserved areas or in the jurisdiction of an Indian 
tribe, in accessing funds through the Low-Income Household Water 
Assistance Program.
    (d) Applications.--Each eligible entity seeking a grant under 
subsection (b), and each qualified nonprofit organization seeking a 
grant under subsection (c), shall submit an application to the 
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information 
as the Secretary shall require.
    (e) Limitations.--A recipient of a grant under subsection (b) or 
(c)--
            (1) shall not use the funds from the grant to supplant any 
        other funds for any program that assists low-income households 
        in maintaining access to affordable drinking water or 
        wastewater services; and
            (2) may use the funds from the grant to supplement or 
        otherwise enhance any such program that satisfies the 
        requirements under this section.
    (f) Technical Assistance for Eligibility Requirements.--The 
Secretary shall provide technical assistance to eligible entities 
receiving a grant under subsection (b) for such eligible entities to 
establish data sharing agreements to streamline categorical eligibility 
requirements for low-income households.
    (g) Transfer to the Environmental Protection Agency.--
            (1) In general.--On the date on which the final report 
        described in section 50109(d) of the Infrastructure Investment 
        and Jobs Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-19a note; Public Law 117-58; 135 
        Stat. 1148) is submitted to Congress under such section, the 
        Secretary, in coordination with the Administrator, shall 
        transfer the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program 
        established under this section to the Environmental Protection 
        Agency for administration of such program by the Administrator 
        in accordance with this section.
            (2) Administration.--
                    (A) In general.--Beginning on the date described in 
                paragraph (1)--
                            (i) the Administrator shall carry out all 
                        functions of the Secretary under this section; 
                        and
                            (ii) for purposes of administering the 
                        program established under this section, each 
                        reference in subsection (b)(2), (c), (d), and 
                        (f) to the Secretary shall be deemed a 
                        reference to the Administrator.
                    (B) Grants previously awarded.--Notwithstanding 
                paragraph (1) and subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall 
                continue, after the transfer under paragraph (1), 
                administering each grant awarded under this section 
                prior to such transfer until the expiration of the term 
                of such grant.
            (3) Unobligated balances.--On the date described in 
        paragraph (1) and subject to section 1531 of title 31, United 
        States Code, the Secretary shall transfer all unobligated 
        balances of appropriations, authorizations, allocations, or 
        other funds available to the Low-Income Household Water 
        Assistance Program established under this section (except for 
        any such balances related to grants awarded prior to the 
        transfer under paragraph (1)) to the Administrator. The amounts 
        of any such unobligated balances so transferred shall be used 
        only for the purposes for which the amounts were originally 
        authorized and appropriated.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $1,100,000,000.
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