119 S4980 IS: Water Emergency and Technical Assistance Act of 2026 U.S. Senate 2026-07-14 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
II119th CONGRESS2d SessionS. 4980IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESJuly 14, 2026Mr. Markey (for himself and Ms. Warren) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public WorksA BILLTo amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to reauthorize emergency technical assistance, to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize emergency technical assistance and grants, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title; table of contents
(a)
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Water Emergency and Technical Assistance Act of 2026.(b)
Table of contents
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.TITLE I—Drinking WaterSec. 101. Emergency situations.TITLE II—Clean WaterSec. 201. Emergency technical assistance and grants for treatment works.
<enum>I</enum><header>Drinking Water</header><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0e1c46af2c5a409f8c6ec19791920b6b"><enum>101.</enum><header>Emergency situations</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 1442 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/300j-1">42 U.S.C. 300j–1</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8ee91f60443848bba2e8f320d8789640"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in subsection (b), in the second sentence, in clause (ii), by inserting <quote>or be economically feasible for ratepayers</quote> after <quote>be taken</quote>; and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2c27b5274baa498a94be7f272aeda9dc"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subsection (d), by striking <quote>$35,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026</quote> and inserting <quote>$50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031</quote>.</text></paragraph></section><enum>II</enum><header>Clean Water</header><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id16e680022275466ca00f802713debba7"><enum>201.</enum><header>Emergency technical assistance and grants for treatment works</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Title II of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/1281">33 U.S.C. 1281 et seq.</external-xref>) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block id="idD443F88A24B14B1391E2F6D5772F26D0" style="OLC" act-name=""><section id="idEF652546A9B245EF9A79ADEE9E6A8257" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>228.</enum><header>Emergency technical assistance and grants</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9a67afd20b644e0cab75bc9934b2ad68"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text>The Administrator may provide technical assistance and grants to States or publicly owned treatment works to assist in responding to and alleviating an emergency situation affecting treatment works (including an emergency situation resulting from a cybersecurity event) that, as determined by the Administrator, present substantial danger to the public health, such as heightened exposure to contaminants from sewer overflows.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id33ab13d9215f4e14b8d03fb026e3c08c"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Use of funds</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A grant under this section shall only be used to support an activity that—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id87f878e300104c1da5064bb1c2a2a0e7"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">is necessary for preventing, limiting, or mitigating danger to the public health in the applicable emergency situation; and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idba3fa42bbaf445dda400dba754c1fe72"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">would not, in the judgment of the Administrator, be taken or be economically feasible for ratepayers without the grant.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5fa92014421c4c72b9856e20b1274280"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Coordination with other programs</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0d4b9a6302d5425cb62ca2aa8549e309"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Administrator may, subject to paragraph (2), carry out this section as part of, and in accordance with the terms and conditions of, any other program of assistance for environmental emergencies that the Administrator is authorized to carry out under any other provision of law.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2fc2513ed6f84d8d9e6df1d55640ad3a"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Applicability of limitations</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">No limitation on appropriations for any program described in paragraph (1) shall apply to amounts made available under this section.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id59d3288470ca479aad37723febe19f46"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.</text></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section>