Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program Establishment Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4733 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4733

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 23, 2025

Mr. Sorensen (for himself, Mr. Bresnahan, Ms. Schrier, Mr. Lawler, Ms.
     Kelly of Illinois, Mr. Fitzpatrick, and Ms. Davids of Kansas)
 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) Household.--The term ``household'' means any individual
        or group of individuals who are living together as 1 economic
        unit.
            (3) 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 (42 U.S.C. 8621
                        et seq.); or
                    (B) that has a household income that, as determined
                by the State or Indian tribe, does not exceed the
                greater 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;
                        or
                            (iii) an amount equal to 60 percent of the
                        area median income for the area in which the
                        household is located.
            (4) 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).
            (5) 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).
            (6) 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)).
            (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
        of Health and Human Services.
            (8) 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.
            (9) 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 (3), to eligible entities described in paragraph (2)
        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) Eligible entities.--An eligible entity described in
        this paragraph is 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) 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 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 the recipients of
grants under this section for such recipients to establish data sharing
agreements to streamline categorical eligibility requirements for low-
income households.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $500,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2026 through 2030.
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