Environment (Drinking Water) in United States

in committee · United States · House Jan 3, 2025

HR 123: Improving Science in Chemical Assessments Act

HR 123, the "Improving Science in Chemical Assessments Act," changes how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducts chemical safety reviews. It requires EPA program offices (like Water, Air, Chemical Safety) to lead these reviews instead of the current IRIS program, using updated scientific standards that emphasize transparency, evidence-based risk assessment, and avoiding duplicate work. The bill mandates that toxicity values assigned to chemicals include uncertainty ranges and be stored in a new EPA database, with regular reports to Congress confirming compliance. This directly affects EPA's chemical safety decisions, ensuring reviews better reflect current science and agency priorities.

Topics ✓ Environment

Sub-Topics Drinking Water Hazardous Materials

in committee · United States · House Jan 13, 2026

HR 6476: Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act

HR 6476, the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act, creates a federal grant program to assist farmers and agricultural communities affected by unsafe levels of PFAS (chemicals used in industrial products) in soil or water. Eligible governments (states, tribes, territories) can receive grants to fund specific actions, including compensating farmers for contaminated land or products, covering health monitoring for affected residents, investing in remediation equipment, conducting PFAS research, and developing educational programs. Grants prioritize direct financial assistance to producers experiencing losses due to contamination and require annual reports on fund usage. The program is authorized with $500 million for fiscal years 2026-2029, targeting communities with PFAS-contaminated agricultural land or water used for farm production.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Environment ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Drinking Water Hazardous Materials Tags Agriculture

in committee · United States · House Jan 8, 2026

HR 6990: PROTECT Act of 2026

The PROTECT Act of 2026 requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to list all perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as hazardous air pollutants under the Clean Air Act within 180 days of the bill becoming law. This would directly affect industries that manufacture or use PFAS, such as producers of non-stick cookware, firefighting foam, and other consumer products containing these chemicals. The EPA must then, within 365 days, update the list of specific industrial sources (including factories and facilities) that emit PFAS to establish regulatory oversight. These steps create the foundational framework for future EPA regulations targeting PFAS emissions, though the bill itself does not set specific emission limits.

Topics ✓ Environment ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Air Quality Drinking Water Hazardous Materials

in committee · United States · House Feb 2, 2026

HR 6616: Clean Water Justice Act

HR 6616, the Clean Water Justice Act, amends criminal penalties under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. It increases maximum fines for water pollution violations: from $5,000 to $25,000, $50,000 to $250,000, and $100,000 to $500,000. The bill also requires annual adjustments to these fines based on the Consumer Price Index, published in the Federal Register, to account for inflation. These changes directly affect polluters who violate federal water pollution laws. The provisions modify existing penalty structures without creating new regulations.

Topics ✓ Environment

Sub-Topics Drinking Water Water Quality

in committee · United States · House Feb 5, 2026

HR 7408: Water Project Navigators Act

HR 7408 establishes the Water Project Navigators Program, which provides federal grants to eligible entities like states, tribes, local water districts, and nonprofits. The program funds "navigators" to help disadvantaged communities, rural areas, and tribal nations develop multi-benefit water projects that improve water access, climate resilience, and ecosystem health. Key provisions include prioritizing applications serving underserved communities, limiting federal funding to 75% of project costs (with waivers for financial hardship), and authorizing $15 million annually for fiscal years 2027-2032. Navigators assist with grant writing, project planning, and technical support to address water supply imbalances and infrastructure needs.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Environment

Sub-Topics Drinking Water Water Quality

in committee · United States · Senate Mar 5, 2025

S 857: Water Conservation Rebate Tax Parity Act

This bill expands tax exclusions for homeowners by adding water conservation, storm water management, and wastewater management rebates to the existing tax-free treatment for energy efficiency subsidies. It directly affects residents receiving rebates from public utilities, local governments, or storm water providers for qualifying installations like low-flow fixtures, rain barrels, or septic system upgrades (with wastewater rebates limited to principal residences). Key provisions redefine "water conservation measure" and "storm water management measure" to clarify eligible upgrades and explicitly include water utilities and storm water providers under tax-exclusion rules. The changes apply to rebates received after December 31, 2021, without altering tax treatment for prior rebates.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Environment

Sub-Topics Drinking Water Recycling Water Quality

in committee · United States · House Jan 15, 2026

HR 6636: To advance sensible priorities.

HR 6636, "To advance sensible priorities," primarily establishes a carbon tax on greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels, starting at $35 per metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2027 with annual increases tied to inflation. The tax revenue would fund infrastructure projects, climate adaptation programs, and worker assistance programs, while border tax adjustments would apply to imports and exports of greenhouse gas-intensive products. The bill directly affects fossil fuel producers, manufacturers, and importers of greenhouse gas-intensive goods through this tax mechanism. It also includes additional titles addressing cancer research funding, PFAS contamination response, sanctions on Russia, school safety improvements, voting reforms, and veteran benefits.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Energy ✓ Environment ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Revenue Climate Change Drinking Water

in committee · United States · Senate Jul 29, 2025

S 2505: Primacy Certainty Act of 2025

The Primacy Certainty Act of 2025 sets clear deadlines for the EPA to review state applications for primary control over Class VI wells (used for carbon dioxide storage). It requires the EPA to provide detailed written explanations if it misses a 180-day deadline for reviewing applications, and automatically approves applications if the EPA fails to act within 30 days after that deadline. States seeking control must already have primary enforcement authority for other well types, and the bill mandates EPA transfer of pending permits to states once approval is granted. This directly affects states applying to manage Class VI well regulations, reducing uncertainty in the approval process.

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

Sub-Topics Pipeline Infrastructure Drinking Water

in committee · United States · House Feb 2, 2026

HR 6464: Affordable Clean Water Infrastructure Act

This bill amends federal water pollution control funding rules to make wastewater services more affordable for low-income communities. It requires states to dedicate at least 20% of their annual federal capitalization grants toward additional subsidies for wastewater infrastructure, with an additional 10% specifically reserved for rural, small, and tribal publicly owned treatment works. States must use these funds to help ratepayers afford wastewater (including stormwater) services, excluding loans with 0% interest rates from counting toward subsidy calculations. The policy directly affects communities served by publicly owned treatment works, particularly in underserved rural and tribal areas, by mandating minimum subsidy levels from state water funds.

Topics ✓ Environment

Sub-Topics Drinking Water Water Quality Tags Rural Communities Tribal Nations

in committee · United States · House Jun 13, 2025

HR 3902: Restoring Federalism in Clean Water Permitting Act

This bill directs the EPA to review and streamline regulations for states administering clean water permits under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, aiming to encourage more states to run their own permitting programs. It adds specific rules for court challenges to state permit approvals, requiring lawsuits to be filed within 60 days and limiting them to issues raised during public comment periods. Courts cannot block state permits unless activities pose an imminent environmental danger with no other remedy. The bill primarily affects states managing clean water permits, the EPA, and entities challenging permit decisions in court. It changes the legal process for reviewing state programs without altering pollution standards or permitting requirements.

Topics ✗ Environment

Sub-Topics Drinking Water Public Lands Water Quality

All environment bills