119-s1019

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1019 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 1019

 To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to establish 
an emergency preparedness and response technical assistance program to 
 assist entities that operate rural water or wastewater systems in 
 preparing for and responding to natural or manmade disasters.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 March 13, 2025

 Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself and Mrs. Hyde-Smith) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
 Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to establish 
an emergency preparedness and response technical assistance program to 
 assist entities that operate rural water or wastewater systems in 
 preparing for and responding to natural or manmade disasters.

 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 ``Rural Water System Disaster 
Preparedness and Assistance Act''.

SEC. 2. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 
 PROGRAM.

 

Section 306

    (a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act 
(7 U.S.C. 1926

    (a) ) is amended by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (27) Emergency preparedness and response technical 
 assistance program.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--The Secretary shall establish an 
 emergency preparedness and response technical 
 assistance program to provide grants to eligible 
 entities to assist associations described in paragraph

    (1) that operate rural water or wastewater systems in 
 preparing for and responding to natural or manmade 
 disasters, as determined by the Secretary.
 ``
        (B) Eligible entities.--An entity eligible to 
 receive a grant under subparagraph
        (A) is a nonprofit 
 organization that--
 ``
            (i) has demonstrated experience providing 
 emergency technical assistance for disaster 
 preparation, recovery, and response activities 
 to water and wastewater utilities nationwide; 
 and
 ``
            (ii) has the capacity to deploy personnel 
 that possess--
 ``
            (I) an active water or wastewater 
 system operators' license; or
 ``
            (II) knowledge of water and 
 wastewater utilities necessary to carry 
 out activities described in 
 subparagraph
            (C) .
 ``
            (C) Eligible activities.--An eligible entity that 
 receives a grant under subparagraph
        (A) shall use the 
 grant--
 ``
            (i) to provide onsite personnel and 
 equipment to assist with water and wastewater 
 systems in the event of a disaster;
 ``
            (ii) to coordinate with statewide 
 emergency response networks to assist with 
 water and wastewater systems;
 ``
            (iii) to facilitate the development of 
 disaster action plans between associations 
 described in subparagraph
        (A) , units of local 
 government, the Federal Emergency Management 
 Agency, and State emergency management 
 agencies;
 ``
            (iv) to improve resiliency and mitigation 
 planning with respect to water or wastewater 
 systems;
 ``
            (v) to provide geographic information 
 system mapping of water and wastewater systems;
 ``
            (vi) to prepare or update predisaster 
 vulnerability assessments, emergency response 
 plans, communication protocols, or hazard 
 recognition and evaluation skills with respect 
 to water and wastewater systems;
 ``
            (vii) to conduct preliminary damage 
 assessments of critical infrastructure in the 
 event of a disaster;
 ``
            (viii) to provide emergency services with 
 respect to water and wastewater systems to 
 restore service in the event of a disaster, 
 including--
 ``
            (I) pump and motor evaluation and 
 repair;
 ``
            (II) water disinfection and 
 flushing;
 ``
            (III) leak detection;
 ``
            (IV) line repair;
 ``
            (V) water main and valve 
 location;
 ``
            (VI) emergency power generation;
 ``
            (VII) bypass pumping;
 ``
            (VIII) water treatment; and
 ``
            (IX) maintaining safety measures;
 ``
            (ix) to address outstanding deficiencies 
 focused on resolving health-based regulatory, 
 operational, financial, and managerial 
 deficiencies that impact the sustainability of 
 water and wastewater systems;
 ``
            (x) to assist with application and 
 reporting requirements for Federal and State 
 agencies, including the Federal Emergency 
 Management Agency and insurance recovery 
 claims, with respect to water and wastewater 
 systems; and
 ``
            (xi) to provide for disaster preparation, 
 support, and response activities targeted to 
 disadvantaged communities that lack the 
 financial resources and human capital necessary 
 to adequately address significant health, 
 safety, or sanitary concerns with respect to 
 the water and wastewater systems of those 
 communities.
 ``
            (D) Use of funds.--
 ``
            (i) In general.--An eligible entity that 
 receives a grant under subparagraph
        (A) may use 
 the grant for salaries, supplies, and expenses 
 relating to the activities described in 
 subparagraph
            (C) .
 ``
            (ii) Limitation.--Not more than 25 
 percent of the amount of a grant under 
 subparagraph
        (A) may be used to purchase or 
 reimburse the rental costs of appropriate 
 emergency equipment, as determined by the 
 Secretary.
 ``
        (E) Restriction.--An eligible entity that 
 receives a grant under subparagraph
        (A) may not use the 
 grant funds to pay for eligible activities for which 
 the eligible entity receives other Federal funds.
 ``
        (F) Authorization of appropriations.--There is 
 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
 paragraph $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 
 through 2029.''.
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