Water Infrastructure Trust Fund Act of 2019

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2705 To establish a Water Infrastructure Trust Fund, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 14, 2019 Mr. BLUMENAUER (for himself and Mr. KATKO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc- ture, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce, 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 To establish a Water Infrastructure Trust Fund, 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 ‘‘Water Infrastructure 4 Trust Fund Act of 2019’’. 5 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT AND FUNDING OF WATER INFRA- 6 STRUCTURE TRUST FUND. 7 (a) WATER INFRASTRUCTURE TRUST FUND.— 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:34 May 23, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2705.IH H2705 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 2705 IH (1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter A of chapter 98 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to 2 establishment of trust funds) is amended by adding 3 at the end the following new section: 4 ‘‘SEC. 9512. WATER INFRASTRUCTURE TRUST FUND. 5 ‘‘(a) CREATION OF TRUST FUND.—There is estab- 6 lished in the Treasury of the United States a trust fund 7 to be known as the ‘Water Infrastructure Trust Fund’, 8 consisting of such amounts as may be appropriated or 9 credited to such fund as provided in this section or section 10 9602(b). 11 ‘‘(b) TRANSFERS TO TRUST FUND.—There are here- 12 by appropriated to the Water Infrastructure Trust Fund 13 amounts equivalent to the fees received in the Treasury 14 before January 1, 2025, under section 2(b) of the Water 15 Infrastructure Trust Fund Act of 2019. 16 ‘‘(c) EXPENDITURES.—Except as provided by sub- 17 section (d), amounts in the Water Infrastructure Trust 18 Fund shall be available, without further appropriation, as 19 follows: 20 ‘‘(1) 50 percent of the amounts shall be avail- 21 able to the Administrator of the Environmental Pro- 22 tection Agency for making capitalization grants 23 under section 601 of the Federal Water Pollution 24 Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1381). 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:34 May 23, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2705.IH H2705 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 2705 IH ‘‘(2) 50 percent of the amounts shall be avail- 1 able to the Administrator for making capitalization 2 grants under section 1452 of the Safe Drinking 3 Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–12). 4 ‘‘(d) LIMITATION ON EXPENDITURES.—Amounts in 5 the Water Infrastructure Trust Fund may not be made 6 available for a fiscal year unless the funds appropriated 7 to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund through annual 8 capitalization grants is not less than the average of the 9 annual amounts provided in capitalization grants under 10 section 601 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 11 (33 U.S.C. 1381) and section 1452 of the Safe Water 12 Drinking Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–12) for the 5-fiscal-year pe- 13 riod immediately preceding such fiscal year.’’. 14 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec- 15 tions for subchapter A of chapter 98 of such Code 16 is amended by adding at the end the following new 17 item: 18 ‘‘Sec. 9512. Water Infrastructure Trust Fund.’’. (b) VOLUNTARY LABELING SYSTEM.— 19 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Treas- 20 ury, in consultation with the Administrator of the 21 Food and Drug Administration, manufacturers, pro- 22 ducers, and importers, shall develop and implement 23 a program under which the Secretary provides a 24 label designed in consultation with manufacturers, 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:34 May 23, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2705.IH H2705 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 2705 IH producers, and importers suitable for placement on 1 products to inform consumers that the manufac- 2 turer, producer, or importer of the product, and 3 other stakeholders, participates in the Water Infra- 4 structure Trust Fund and is contributing to Amer- 5 ica’s clean water. 6 (2) FEE.—The Secretary shall provide a label 7 for a fee of 3 cents per unit. Amounts received by 8 the Secretary shall be deposited in the general fund 9 of the Treasury. 10 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 11 this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after 12 the date of the enactment of this Act. 13 SEC. 3. EPA STUDY ON WATER PRICING. 14 (a) STUDY.—The Administrator of the Environ- 15 mental Protection Agency, with participation by the 16 States, shall conduct a study to— 17 (1) assess the affordability gap faced by low-in- 18 come populations located in urban and rural areas 19 in obtaining services from clean water and drinking 20 water systems; and 21 (2) analyze options for programs to provide in- 22 centives for rate adjustments at the local level to 23 achieve ‘‘full cost’’ or ‘‘true value’’ pricing for such 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:34 May 23, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2705.IH H2705 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 5 •HR 2705 IH services, while protecting low-income ratepayers 1 from undue burden. 2 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 3 of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall sub- 4 mit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc- 5 ture and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 6 House of Representatives and the Committee on Environ- 7 ment and Public Works of the Senate a report on the re- 8 sults of the study required under subsection (a). 9 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:34 May 23, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2705.IH H2705 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS