Water Access and Affordability Act

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Introduced 2026-04-13Topic: environment

Summary

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This bill directs the Environmental Protection Agency to create a federal program within 12 months to help low-income households pay for drinking water and sewer service. The program could be run by large water systems, states, or Indian Tribes through grants, and would offer bill discounts, debt relief, emergency help, and water efficiency upgrades. Households receiving assistance could not have service shut off or be charged late or reconnection fees for inability to pay, and the program could not require citizenship or legal residency. The bill authorizes $20 billion per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2037 and adds a Census survey question on difficulty paying water bills. It also changes state revolving loan fund rules to require public comment, hearings, and data reporting on how funds are distributed.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Action history

Date	Chamber	Action	Status effect
2026-04-13	House	Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Oversight and Government Reform, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.	refer
2026-04-13	House	Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Oversight and Government Reform, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.	refer
2026-04-13	House	Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Oversight and Government Reform, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.	refer
2026-04-13	House	Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Oversight and Government Reform, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.	refer
2026-04-13		Introduced in House	introduce
2026-04-13		Introduced in House	introduce

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