Drinking Water Infrastructure for Job Creation Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1429 Making supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2019 for the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FEBRUARY 28, 2019 Ms. WATERS (for herself, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Ms. MOORE, Mr. SIRES, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Penn- sylvania, Ms. OMAR, Mr. GOMEZ, Mr. COHEN, Mr. CLEAVER, Mrs. TORRES of California, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. CICILLINE, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Ms. PRESSLEY, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. LYNCH, Ms. TLAIB, Ms. NOR- TON, and Mr. SABLAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speak- er, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the ju- risdiction of the committee concerned A BILL Making supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2019 for the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Drinking Water Infra- 4 structure for Job Creation Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:57 Feb 28, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1429.IH H1429 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 1429 IH SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 1 Congress finds the following: 2 (1) Investments in infrastructure create jobs 3 while fulfilling critical needs in communities 4 throughout the United States. 5 (2) According to the Brookings Institution, 6 nearly 14.5 million workers—11 percent of the U.S. 7 workforce—were employed in infrastructure jobs in 8 2013. 9 (3) According to data from the Brookings Insti- 10 tution, infrastructure occupations often provide more 11 competitive and equitable wages in comparison to all 12 jobs nationally, consistently paying up to 30 percent 13 more to low-income workers. 14 (4) The American Society of Civil Engineers 15 gave the infrastructure of the United States an over- 16 all grade of ‘‘D+’’ in 2017 and estimated that the 17 United States will need to invest $4.59 trillion by 18 2025 in order to improve the condition of the Na- 19 tion’s infrastructure and bring it to a state of good 20 repair. 21 (5) The American Society of Civil Engineers as- 22 signed a ‘‘D’’ grade to the Nation’s drinking water 23 infrastructure and a ‘‘D+’’ grade to the Nation’s 24 wastewater infrastructure and estimated that the 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:57 Feb 28, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1429.IH H1429 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 1429 IH United States will need to invest $150 billion by 1 2025 to bring them to a state of good repair. 2 (6) According to the American Society of Civil 3 Engineers, there are an estimated 240,000 water 4 main breaks per year in the United States, wasting 5 over two trillion gallons of treated drinking water. 6 (7) In 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection 7 Agency (EPA) reported that although exposure to 8 lead can cause serious health problems, including 9 damage to the brain and nervous system in children 10 and kidney problems and high blood pressure in 11 adults, an estimated 6.5 to 10 million homes nation- 12 wide receive drinking water through lead service 13 lines. 14 (8) Congress created the Drinking Water State 15 Revolving Funds in 1996 to help eligible public 16 water systems finance infrastructure projects in 17 order to comply with Federal drinking water regula- 18 tions and meet the health objectives of the Safe 19 Drinking Water Act. 20 (9) The EPA is required periodically to conduct 21 a survey of the capital improvement needs of eligible 22 public water systems and distribute funding appro- 23 priated for the Drinking Water State Revolving 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:57 Feb 28, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1429.IH H1429 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 1429 IH Funds among the States based on the results of the 1 most recent survey. 2 (10) In March of 2018, the EPA issued the 3 2015 Drinking Water Needs Survey and Assess- 4 ment, which is the most recent survey of the capital 5 improvement needs of eligible public water systems 6 and which estimated that $472.6 billion in improve- 7 ments are needed for the Nation’s drinking water in- 8 frastructure over 20 years in order to ensure the 9 safety of drinking water. 10 (11) In fiscal year 2018, Congress appropriated 11 $1.163 billion for the Drinking Water State Revolv- 12 ing Funds to enable States to provide grants and fi- 13 nancing assistance to eligible public water systems in 14 order to improve drinking water infrastructure in 15 communities throughout the United States. 16 (12) Past appropriations for the Drinking 17 Water State Revolving Funds are not sufficient to 18 address the tremendous need for investments in 19 drinking water infrastructure in communities 20 throughout the United States. 21 (13) Appropriating $7.5 billion in fiscal year 22 2019 for the Drinking Water State Revolving 23 Funds, and allowing the funds to remain available 24 for 6 years, will enable States to begin immediately 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:57 Feb 28, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1429.IH H1429 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 1429 IH to expand investments in drinking water infrastruc- 1 ture in communities throughout the United States. 2 (14) Restricting appropriations for the Drink- 3 ing Water State Revolving Funds through the use of 4 arbitrary budget caps or sequestration undermines 5 economic recovery and job creation efforts; disrupts 6 planning by States, local communities, and eligible 7 public water systems; and leaves critical infrastruc- 8 ture needs unmet. 9 (15) Emergency supplemental appropriations 10 for the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, pro- 11 vided in addition to other appropriations and not 12 subject to sequestration, will improve drinking water 13 infrastructure and create jobs throughout the United 14 States without reducing funding for other domestic 15 priorities. 16 (16) An emergency supplemental appropriation 17 of $7.5 billion for the Drinking Water State Revolv- 18 ing Funds to be made available in fiscal year 2019, 19 and to remain available for 6 years, will allow States 20 to begin immediately to distribute funds to eligible 21 public water systems and allow local communities 22 and eligible public water systems to develop and im- 23 plement plans to improve drinking water infrastruc- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:57 Feb 28, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1429.IH H1429 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 1429 IH ture, thus ensuring an efficient use of funds and 1 timely job creation. 2 SEC. 3. SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE DRINK- 3 ING WATER STATE REVOLVING FUNDS. 4 The following sums are appropriated, out of any 5 money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for fis- 6 cal year 2019: 7 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 8 STATE AND TRIBAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS 9 For an additional amount for capitalization grants 10 under section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act in ac- 11 cordance with the provisions under this heading in title 12 VII of division A of Public Law 111–5, $7,500,000,000, 13 to remain available through September 30, 2024: Pro- 14 vided, That the amount under this heading is designated 15 by the Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant 16 to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and 17 Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, except that such 18 amount shall be available only if the President subse- 19 quently so designates such amount and transmits such 20 designation to the Congress. 21 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:57 Feb 28, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1429.IH H1429 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 1429 IH SEC. 4. EXEMPTION FROM SEQUESTRATION. 1 The appropriation in section 3 shall be exempt from 2 sequestration under the Balanced Budget and Emergency 3 Deficit Control Act of 1985. 4 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:57 Feb 28, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1429.IH H1429 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS