Bill Summary
This legislation, titled the "Emergency Water is a Human Right Act," aims to prohibit water shutoffs during the COVID-19 emergency period and provide assistance to households for both drinking and waste water services. It authorizes a $1,500,000,000 budget for the Secretary to carry out this act and requires that no home energy or public water system services are disrupted during the emergency period. It also provides grants to States and Indian Tribes to assist low-income households with high water service costs and allows for the use of existing processes and systems under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act. The Secretary will determine the allotment of funds to States and Indian Tribes based on factors such as the percentage of low-income households and the impact of the public health emergency. The legislation also outlines the determination of low-income households and allows for flexibility in income documentation requirements. States and Indian Tribes must submit applications to receive grants and are encouraged to enter into agreements with entities involved in providing water services. Up to 15% of the grant amount may be used for administrative costs. The Secretary will coordinate with other federal agencies and periodic audits and reports to Congress will be required. The legislation defines key terms such as "Indian Tribe" and "public health emergency."
Possible Impacts
1. This legislation could affect people by providing assistance to households who are struggling to pay for drinking and waste water services during the COVID-19 emergency period. This could alleviate financial burden for low-income individuals and families who may have lost their jobs or experienced a significant decrease in income due to the pandemic.
2. The legislation could also prevent water shutoffs during the emergency period, ensuring that individuals and families have access to essential services like drinking water and wastewater. This could be particularly beneficial for marginalized communities who may already face challenges in accessing clean water.
3. The Act may also require states and Indian tribes to work with organizations and agencies to identify low-income households and provide them with assistance. This could help to address disparities in access to clean water and wastewater services among different socioeconomic groups.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6552 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6552
To prohibit water shutoffs during the COVID-19 emergency period,
provide drinking and waste water assistance to households, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 17, 2020
Ms. Tlaib (for herself, Mrs. Dingell, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mrs. Carolyn B.
Maloney of New York, Ms. Pressley, Mr. Neguse, Mr. Levin of Michigan,
Ms. Escobar, Ms. Barragan, Mr. Suozzi, Ms. Norton, Mrs. Watson Coleman,
Mr. Raskin, Mrs. Hayes, Mr. Cohen, Ms. DeGette, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms.
Castor of Florida, Ms. Wild, Mr. Rouda, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Mr. Garcia
of Illinois, Mr. Blumenauer, Ms. Scanlon, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. McEachin,
Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Michael F. Doyle of Pennsylvania,
Mr. Trone, Mr. Engel, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr.
Espaillat, Mr. McNerney, Ms. Haaland, Ms. Lee of California, Mr.
Deutch, Ms. Jayapal, Ms. Shalala, Ms. Meng, Mr. Connolly, Mr.
Cicilline, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Ms.
Sanchez, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Hastings, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Clay, Mr. Cardenas,
Mr. Ryan, Mr. Khanna, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Adams, Ms. Frankel, Ms.
Stevens, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Clark of Massachusetts, Ms. Slotkin, Ms.
Kuster of New Hampshire, Ms. Speier, Mr. Rush, Ms. Pingree, Mr. Soto,
Ms. Spanberger, Mr. Kildee, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mrs. Bustos, and Ms.
Kaptur) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on
Education and Labor, and Transportation and Infrastructure, 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 prohibit water shutoffs during the COVID-19 emergency period,
provide drinking and waste water assistance to households, 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 ``Emergency Water is a Human Right
Act''.
SEC. 2. HOME ENERGY AND WATER SERVICE CONTINUITY.
Any entity receiving financial assistance pursuant to this Act
shall, to the maximum extent practicable, establish or maintain in
effect policies to ensure that no home energy service or public water
system service to an individual or household, which is provided or
regulated by such entity, is or remains disconnected or interrupted
during the emergency period described in section 1135(g)(1)(B) of the
Social Security Act. For purposes of this Act, the term ``home energy
service'' means a service to provide home energy, as such term is
defined in section 2603 of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of
1981, and electric service, as that term is used in the Public Utility
Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, and the term ``public water system''
has the meaning given that term in section 1401 of the Safe Drinking
Water Act. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require
forgiveness of outstanding debt owed to an entity or to absolve an
individual of any obligation to an entity for service.
SEC. 3. LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLD DRINKING WATER AND WASTEWATER ASSISTANCE.
(a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated $1,500,000,000 to the Secretary to carry out this section.
Such sums shall remain available until expended.
(b) Low-Income Household Drinking Water and Wastewater
Assistance.--The Secretary shall make grants to States and Indian
Tribes to assist low-income households, particularly those with the
lowest incomes, that pay a high proportion of household income for
drinking water and wastewater services.
(c) Use of LIHEAP Resources.--In carrying out this section, the
Secretary, States, and Indian Tribes, as applicable, shall use the
existing processes, procedures, policies, and systems in place to carry
out the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981, as the Secretary
determines appropriate, including by using the application and approval
process under such Act to the maximum extent practicable.
(d) Allotment.--
(1) Factors.--The Secretary shall allot amounts
appropriated pursuant to this section to a State or Indian
Tribe taking into account--
(A) the percentage of households in the State, or
under the jurisdiction of the Indian Tribe, that are
low-income, as determined by the Secretary;
(B) the average State or Tribal drinking water and
wastewater service rates; and
(C) the extent to which the State or Indian Tribe
has been impacted by the public health emergency.
(2) Notification to congress.--Not later than 15 days after
determining an amount to allot to each State or Indian Tribe
pursuant to paragraph (1), and prior to making grants under
this section, the Secretary shall notify Congress of such
allotment amounts.
(e) Determination of Low-Income Households.--
(1) Minimum definition of low-income.--In determining
whether a household is considered low-income for the purposes
of this section, a State or Indian Tribe shall--
(A) ensure that, at a minimum, all households
within 150 percent of the Federal poverty line are
included as low-income households; and
(B) consider households that have not previously
received assistance under the Low-Income Home Energy
Assistance Act of 1981 in the same manner as households
that have previously received such assistance.
(2) Household documentation requirements.--States and
Indian Tribes shall--
(A) to the maximum extent practicable, seek to
limit the income history documentation requirements for
determining whether a household is considered low-
income for the purposes of this section; and
(B) for the purposes of income eligibility, accept
proof of job loss or severe income loss dated after
February 29, 2020, such as a layoff or furlough notice
or verification of application of unemployment
benefits, as sufficient to demonstrate lack of income
for an individual or household.
(f) Applications.--Each State or Indian Tribe desiring to receive a
grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary,
in such form as the Secretary shall require.
(g) State Agreements With Drinking Water and Wastewater
Providers.--To the maximum extent practicable, a State that receives a
grant under this section shall enter into agreements with public water
systems, municipalities, nonprofit organizations associated with
providing drinking water and wastewater services to rural and small
communities, and Indian Tribes, to assist in identifying low-income
households and to carry out this section.
(h) Administrative Costs.--A State or Indian Tribe that receives a
grant under this section may use up to 15 percent of the granted
amounts for administrative costs.
(i) Federal Agency Coordination.--In carrying out this section, the
Secretary shall coordinate with the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency and consult with other Federal agencies with
authority over the provision of drinking water and wastewater services.
(j) Audits.--The Secretary shall require each State and Indian
Tribe receiving a grant under this section to undertake periodic audits
and evaluations of expenditures made by such State or Indian Tribe
pursuant to this section.
(k) Reports to Congress.--The Secretary shall submit to Congress a
report on the results of activities carried out pursuant to this
section--
(1) not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
this section; and
(2) upon disbursement of all funds appropriated pursuant to
this section.
(l) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' means any
Indian Tribe, band, group, or community recognized by the
Secretary of the Interior and exercising governmental authority
over a Federal Indian reservation.
(2) Municipality.--The term ``municipality'' has the
meaning given such term in section 502 of the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1362).
(3) Public health emergency.--The term ``public health
emergency'' means the public health emergency described in
section 1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Health and Human Services.
(5) State.--The term ``State'' means a State, the District
of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin
Islands of the United States, Guam, American Samoa, and the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
<all>