,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bgbg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #bc1    
#bjah ,mrs4 ,gillibrand introduced the  
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,environment and ,public ,works  ,a     
,,bill  ,to require the ,administrator  
of the ,environmental ,protection       
,agency to establish a discretionary    
grant program for drinking water and    
wastewater infrastructure projects1 and 
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,protecting ,infrastructure and         
,promoting the ,economy ,act or the     
,,pipe ,act4  #b4 ,drinking water and   
wastewater infrastructure discretionary 
grant program  7a7 ,definitions ,in this
 section3  7#a7 ,administrator ,the term
 ,administrator means the ,administrator
 of the ,environmental ,protection      
,agency4  7#b7 ,program ,the term       
program means the drinking water and    
wastewater infrastructure discretionary 

grant program established under         
subsection 7b74  7b7 ,establishment of  
program ,not later than #a year after   
the date of enactment of this ,act1 the 
,administrator shall establish a        
drinking water and wastewater           
discretionary grant program to provide  
grants on a competitive basis to        
eligible entities for investments in    
drinking water and wastewater           
infrastructure projects4  7c7 ,eligible 
entities ,an entity eligible to receive 
a grant under the program is--  7#a7 a  
,state2  7#b7 a unit of local           
government2  7#c7 a federally recognized
 ,indian ,tribe2 or  7#d7 a public or   
nonprofit water utility4  7d7 ,eligible 
projects ,a project eligible to be      
carried out with funds under the program
 includes-- 7#a7 one or more activities 
that are eligible for assistance under  
section #fjc7;c7 of the ,federal ,water 
,pollution ,control ,act 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 
#achc7;c772  7#b7 one or more activities
 described in section #adeb7;a77#b7 of  

the ,safe ,drinking ,water ,act 7#db    
,u4,s4,c4 #cjj;j-#ab7;a77#b772 and  7#c7
 any other drinking water infrastructure
 project or wastewater infrastructure   
project that meets the criteria         
established by the ,administrator under 
subsection 7f77#a77;,a74  7e7           
,application  7#a7 ,in general ,to be   
eligible to receive a grant under the   
program1 an eligible entity shall submit
 to the ,administrator an application in
 such manner and containing such        
information as the ,administrator may   
require4  7#b7 ,bundling of projects ,an
 eligible entity may include more than  
#a project in a single application4     
7#c7 ,deadline ,an application shall be 
submitted to the ,administrator not     
later than #ahj days after the date on  
which the notice of funding opportunity 
and the selection criteria are issued   
under subsection 7f77#a77;,b74  7f7     
,selection  7#a7 ,criteria  7,a7 ,in    
general ,the ,administrator shall       
establish criteria in accordance with   

this subsection to use in selecting     
projects to receive a grant under the   
program4  7,b7 ,publication ,not later  
than #fj days after the date on which   
funds are made available to carry out   
the program for each fiscal year1 the   
,administrator shall-- 7i7 issue a      
notice of funding opportunity for the   
program2 and  7ii7 include in the notice
 the selection criteria established     
under subparagraph 7,a74  7#b7 ,priority
 ,in selecting projects to receive a    
grant under the program1 the            
,administrator shall give priority to   
projects for which the grant would help 
fill a gap in the overall funding or    
financing necessary to complete the     
project4  7#c7 ,geographical            
distribution ,for each fiscal year1 in  
providing grants under the program1 the 
,administrator shall ensure that the    
funds are distributed-- 7,a7 on an      
equitable geographical basis2 and  7,b7 
in a manner that balances the needs of  
urban1 suburban1 and rural communities4 

7#d7 ,deadline ,not later than #a year  
after the date on which funds are made  
available to carry out the program for  
each fiscal year1 the ,administrator    
shall select projects to receive grants 
under the program4  7g7 ,requirements   
7#a7 ,total ,state limit ,for each      
fiscal year1 the total amount provided  
under the program for projects in a     
single ,state shall not exceed #bj      
percent of the total amount made        
available to carry out the program4     
7#b7 ,federal share ,the ,federal share 
of the cost of a project carried out    
with a grant under the program shall not
 exceed #ajj percent4  7h7 ,regulations 
,the ,administrator may promulgate such 
regulations as may be necessary to carry
 out this section4  7i7 ,reports ,not   
later than #b years after the date of   
enactment of this ,act1 the             
,administrator shall submit to ,congress
 and make publicly available a report on
 the implementation of the program4  7j7
 ,funding  7#a7 ,authorization of       

appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated to carry out this       
section #ejj1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal 
years #bjah through #bjbg4  7#b7        
,availability ,funds made available to  
carry out this section shall be         
available until expended4