[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4220 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4220
To collect information regarding water access needs across the United
States, to understand the impacts of the water access gap in each State
and territory, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 1, 2024
Mr. Wyden (for himself, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Lujan, and Mr. Heinrich)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Environment and Public Works
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To collect information regarding water access needs across the United
States, to understand the impacts of the water access gap in each State
and territory, 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 ``Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
Access Data Collection Act of 2024'' or the ``WASH Access Data
Collection Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. WATER AND SANITATION NEEDS WORKING GROUP.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
(2) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' means any
Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village,
community, component band, or component reservation
individually identified (including parenthetically) in the list
published most recently as of the date of enactment of this Act
pursuant to section 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian
Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131).
(3) State.--The term ``State'' means--
(A) each of the 50 States;
(B) the District of Columbia; and
(C) any territory of the United States.
(4) Working group.--The term ``Working Group'' means the
Water and Sanitation Needs Working Group established under
subsection (b).
(b) Establishment.--For the purposes of improving water access for
the people of the United States facing water insecurity, preventing
significant annual economic losses, and helping the Federal Government
prioritize and plan water infrastructure plans more effectively, not
later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Administrator shall establish a working group, to be known as the
``Water and Sanitation Needs Working Group''--
(1) to work with a Federal agency or independently to carry
out a survey that will estimate the number and approximate
geographic distribution of households in the United States that
do not have access to drinking water infrastructure or a means
for adequate wastewater treatment; and
(2) on the basis of the results of the survey carried out
under paragraph (1), to prepare a report for Congress that
estimates the cost of capital improvements that would be needed
to ensure that all households in the United States have access
to reliable drinking water and adequate sanitation, subject to
the condition that the Working Group will not be required to
collect or report personally identifiable information, but can
maintain information with respect to drinking water and
sanitation needs based on ZIP Code or another appropriate
geographic breakdown.
(c) Chairperson; Membership.--
(1) Chairperson.--The Administrator shall serve as the
chairperson of the Working Group.
(2) Membership.--The Working Group shall comprise senior
representatives from such Federal agencies as the Administrator
determines to be appropriate, including--
(A) the Department of the Interior, including the
Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Reclamation;
(B) the Department of Agriculture;
(C) the Census Bureau;
(D) the Department of Health and Human Services,
including the Indian Health Service; and
(E) the Department of Housing and Urban
Development.
(d) Duties.--The Working Group shall--
(1) leverage the expertise of industry, the research
community, nongovernmental organizations, and utilities,
including through the incorporation of information that could
be collected by utilities, circuit riders, and technical
assistance providers;
(2) consult, on a regular basis, with States, units of
local government, Indian Tribes, and relevant Federal agencies
not included in the membership of the Working Group;
(3) in carrying out subsection (b)--
(A) seek to determine whether the decennial census
or another existing survey or data collection effort
carried out by the Federal Government presents an
efficient opportunity for collecting the information
described in paragraph (1) of that subsection;
(B) seek to coordinate Federal programs and
policies to support the collection and use of the
information described in that subsection;
(C) develop a methodology for creating the cost
estimate required under paragraph (2) of that
subsection; and
(D) oversee the collection of--
(i) the information described in paragraph
(1) of that subsection; and
(ii) the information necessary to create
the cost estimate required under paragraph (2)
of that subsection; and
(4) establish a national, public index for publishing and
linking water access data from Federal sources and State,
Tribal, and other non-Federal sources that will be accessible
online.
(e) Report on Water and Sanitation Needs.--Not less frequently than
once every 5 years, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report
that describes the activities and findings of the Working Group,
including--
(1) an explanation of the methodology used by the Working
Group to determine drinking water and sanitation needs;
(2) an estimate of the amount of funds necessary to provide
all households with access to reliable drinking water and
adequate sanitation; and
(3) a breakdown by State and, if feasible, congressional
district of--
(A) drinking water and sanitation needs; and
(B) the amount of funding required to address those
needs.
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Administrator and other necessary Federal agencies
to collect the information and prepare the reports required under this
section--
(1) for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029,
$10,000,000; and
(2) for fiscal year 2030 and each fiscal year thereafter,
such sums as may be necessary.
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