Sec. 13301. Emergency relief program

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Part F of the Safe Drinking Water Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300j–21 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following new section: The Administrator shall establish and carry out a residential emergency relief program to provide payments to public water systems to reimburse such public water systems for providing forgiveness of arrearages and fees incurred by eligible residential customers before the date of enactment of this section to help such eligible residential customers retain, or reconnect or restore, water service.

To receive funds under this section, a public water system shall agree to— except as otherwise provided in this section, use such funds to forgive all arrearages and fees relating to nonpayment or arrearages incurred by eligible residential customers before the date of enactment of this section; if forgiveness of all arrearages and fees described in paragraph

(1)is not possible given the amount of funds received, except as otherwise provided in this section, use such funds to reduce such arrearages and fees for each eligible residential customer by, to the extent practicable, a consistent percentage; take no action that negatively affects the credit score of an eligible residential customer, or pursue any type of collection action against such eligible residential customer, during the 5-year period that begins on the date on which the public water system receives such funds; not disconnect or interrupt, or leave disconnected or interrupted, where feasible, the service of any eligible residential customer as a result of nonpayment or arrearages during such 5-year period; and provide to the Administrator such information as the Administrator determines appropriate. To be eligible for forgiveness or reduction of arrearages and fees pursuant to the program established under subsection (a), a residential customer of a public water system shall have accrued new arrearages on or after March 1, 2020. The Administrator, or a State that is, pursuant to subsection (e), implementing the program established under subsection (a), may authorize a public water system receiving funds under this section to use up to 5 percent of such funds for expenses relating to reconnecting or restoring water service, including expenses relating to plumbing repairs and pipe flushing, as needed, for eligible residential customers. The Administrator may authorize— States to implement the program established under subsection (a); and a State implementing such program to use up to 4 percent of funds made available to carry out such program in such State for administrative expenses. Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, and every other month thereafter until all amounts made available under this section are expended, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate a report that describes— each public water system that received a payment under or pursuant to this section; the total amount of each payment provided under or pursuant to this section; for each public water system receiving a payment under or pursuant to this section— the amount of arrearages and fees forgiven or reduced; the number of eligible residential customers benefitting from forgiveness or reduction of arrearages and fees under this section; the amount of arrearages and fees of customers described in subparagraph

(B)incurred before the date of enactment of this section that remain outstanding; the number of eligible residential customers that did not benefit from forgiveness or reduction of arrearages and fees under this section; and the amount of arrearages and fees of customers described in subparagraph

(D)incurred before the date of enactment of this section that remain outstanding; and a summary of any other information provided to the Administrator by public water systems that receive a payment pursuant to this section. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $4,000,000,000, to remain available until expended. .

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42 USC 300j–21

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Sec. 13301

Emergency relief program

Cite42 USC 300j–21

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