119-s783

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 783 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 783

 To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to provide 
 additional assistance to rural water, wastewater, and waste disposal 
 systems, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 February 27, 2025

 Mrs. Shaheen (for herself and Mr. Tillis) 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 provide 
 additional assistance to rural water, wastewater, and waste disposal 
 systems, 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 ``Assistance for Rural Water Systems 
Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR RURAL WATER SYSTEMS.

 Subtitle A of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act is 
amended by inserting after 

section 306A (7 U.S.C. 1926a) the following:

``

SEC. 306B. ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR RURAL WATER SYSTEMS.

 ``

    (a) Definition of Eligible Entity.--In this section, the term 
`eligible entity' means a rural water, wastewater, or waste disposal 
facility with respect to which assistance may be provided under a 
water, wastewater, or waste disposal program under 

section 306

    (a) , 
306A, 306C, or 306D.
 ``

    (b) Additional Assistance.--
 ``

    (1) Grants and loans.--The Secretary may provide a grant, 
 a zero percent interest loan, or a 1 percent interest loan to 
 an eligible entity.
 ``

    (2) Existing loans.--The Secretary may--
 ``
        (A) forgive principal or interest or modify any 
 term or condition of an outstanding loan made to an 
 eligible entity; or
 ``
        (B) refinance part or all of any other loan (if 
 the purpose of the loan is an eligible purpose under 
 

section 306

    (a)

    (1) or 306C) made to an eligible entity.
 ``

    (3) Limitation.--The Secretary may not provide assistance 
 under paragraph

    (2) with respect to a loan made under paragraph

    (1) .
 ``
            (c) Eligible 

=== Purposes ===
-The Secretary may provide assistance to 
an eligible entity under subsection

    (b) as the Secretary determines is 
necessary--
 ``

    (1) to ensure that the eligible entity has the necessary 
 resources to maintain public health, safety, or order; or
 ``

    (2) to address financial hardships of the eligible 
 entity, if the eligible entity is located in a disadvantaged or 
 economically distressed area, as determined under subsection
            (d) .
 ``
            (d) Determination.--To determine whether an eligible entity may 
receive assistance pursuant to subsection
            (c) (2) , the Secretary shall 
establish--
 ``

    (1) a residential indicator of affordable water services 
 in each State or local or geographic area, calculated using the 
 cost per household as a percentage of median household income; 
 and
 ``

    (2) factors relating to disadvantaged or economically 
 distressed areas.''.
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