,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #feeb ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,april #ag1 #bjbj,ms4 ,tlaib 7for herself1 ,mrs4 ,dingell1 ,ms4 ,jackson ,lee1 ,mrs4 ,carolyn ,b4 ,maloney of ,new ,york1 ,ms4 ,pressley1 ,mr4 ,neguse1 ,mr4 ,levin of ,michigan1 ,ms4 ,escobar1 ,ms4 ,barragn1 ,mr4 ,suozzi1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,mrs4 ,watson ,coleman1 ,mr4 ,raskin1 ,mrs4 ,hayes1 ,mr4 ,cohen1 ,ms4 ,de,gette1 ,ms4 ,schakowsky1 ,ms4 ,castor of ,florida1 ,ms4 ,wild1 ,mr4 ,rouda1 ,ms4 ,garcia of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,garca of ,illinois1 ,mr4 ,blumenauer1 ,ms4 ,scanlon1 ,ms4 ,velzquez1 ,mr4 ,mc,eachin1 ,mr4 ,danny ,k4 ,davis of ,illinois1 ,mr4 ,michael ,f4 ,doyle of ,pennsylvania1 ,mr4 ,trone1 ,mr4 ,engel1 ,ms4 ,ocasio-,cortez1 ,ms4 ,clarke of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,espaillat1 ,mr4 ,mc,nerney1 ,ms4 ,haaland1 ,ms4 ,lee of ,california1 ,mr4 ,deutch1 ,ms4 ,jayapal1 ,ms4 ,shalala1 ,ms4 ,meng1 ,mr4 ,connolly1 ,mr4 ,cicilline1 ,mr4 ,carson of ,indiana1 ,mr4 ,larson of ,connecticut1 ,ms4 ,snchez1 ,mr4 ,pocan1 ,mr4 ,hastings1 ,mr4 ,kennedy1 ,mr4 ,clay1 ,mr4 ,crdenas1 ,mr4 ,ryan1 ,mr4 ,khanna1 ,mr4 ,mc,govern1 ,ms4 ,adams1 ,ms4 ,frankel1 ,ms4 ,stevens1 ,ms4 ,bonamici1 ,ms4 ,clark of ,massachusetts1 ,ms4 ,slotkin1 ,ms4 ,kuster of ,new ,hampshire1 ,ms4 ,speier1 ,mr4 ,rush1 ,ms4 ,pingree1 ,mr4 ,soto1 ,ms4 ,spanberger1 ,mr4 ,kildee1 ,ms4 ,wasserman ,schultz1 ,mrs4 ,bustos1 and ,ms4 ,kaptur7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 and in addition to the ,committees on ,education and ,labor1 and ,transportation and ,infrastructure1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to prohibit water shutoffs during the ,,covid-#ai emergency period1 provide drinking and waste water assistance to households1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,emergency ,water is a ,human ,right ,act4 #b4 ,home energy and water service continuity ,any entity receiving financial assistance pursuant to this ,act shall1 to the maximum extent practicable1 establish or maintain in effect policies to ensure that no home energy service or public water system service to an individual or household1 which is provided or regulated by such entity1 is or remains disconnected or interrupted during the emergency period described in section #aace7;g77#a77;,b7 of the ,social ,security ,act4 ,for purposes of this ,act1 the term home energy service means a service to provide home energy1 as such term is defined in section #bfjc of the ,low-,income ,home ,energy ,assistance ,act of #aiha1 and electric service1 as that term is used in the ,public ,utility ,regulatory ,policies ,act of #aigh1 and the term public water system has the meaning given that term in section #adja of the ,safe ,drinking ,water ,act4 ,nothing in this ,act shall be construed to require forgiveness of outstanding debt owed to an entity or to absolve an individual of any obligation to an entity for service4 #c4 ,low-income household drinking water and wastewater assistance 7a7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there is authorized to be appropriated #a1ejj1jjj1jjj to the ,secretary to carry out this section4 ,such sums shall remain available until expended4 7b7 ,low-,income household drinking water and wastewater assistance ,the ,secretary shall make grants to ,states and ,indian ,tribes to assist low-income households1 particularly those with the lowest incomes1 that pay a high proportion of household income for drinking water and wastewater services4 7c7 ,use of ,,liheap resources ,in carrying out this section1 the ,secretary1 ,states1 and ,indian ,tribes1 as applicable1 shall use the existing processes1 procedures1 policies1 and systems in place to carry out the ,low-,income ,home ,energy ,assistance ,act of #aiha1 as the ,secretary determines appropriate1 including by using the application and approval process under such ,act to the maximum extent practicable4 7d7 ,allotment 7#a7 ,factors ,the ,secretary shall allot amounts appropriated pursuant to this section to a ,state or ,indian ,tribe taking into account-- 7,a7 the percentage of households in the ,state1 or under the jurisdiction of the ,indian ,tribe1 that are low-income1 as determined by the ,secretary2 7,b7 the average ,state or ,tribal drinking water and wastewater service rates2 and 7,c7 the extent to which the ,state or ,indian ,tribe has been impacted by the public health emergency4 7#b7 ,notification to ,congress ,not later than #ae days after determining an amount to allot to each ,state or ,indian ,tribe pursuant to paragraph 7#a71 and prior to making grants under this section1 the ,secretary shall notify ,congress of such allotment amounts4 7e7 ,determination of low-,income households 7#a7 ,minimum definition of low-income ,in determining whether a household is considered low-income for the purposes of this section1 a ,state or ,indian ,tribe shall-- 7,a7 ensure that1 at a minimum1 all households within #aej percent of the ,federal poverty line are included as low-income households2 and 7,b7 consider households that have not previously received assistance under the ,low-,income ,home ,energy ,assistance ,act of #aiha in the same manner as households that have previously received such assistance4 7#b7 ,household documentation requirements ,states and ,indian ,tribes shall-- 7,a7 to the maximum extent practicable1 seek to limit the income history documentation requirements for determining whether a household is considered low-income for the purposes of this section2 and 7,b7 for the purposes of income eligibility1 accept proof of job loss or severe income loss dated after ,february #bi1 #bjbj1 such as a layoff or furlough notice or verification of application of unemployment benefits1 as sufficient to demonstrate lack of income for an individual or household4 7f7 ,applications ,each ,state or ,indian ,tribe desiring to receive a grant under this section shall submit an application to the ,secretary1 in such form as the ,secretary shall require4 7g7 ,state agreements with drinking water and wastewater providers ,to the maximum extent practicable1 a ,state that receives a grant under this section shall enter into agreements with public water systems1 municipalities1 nonprofit organizations associated with providing drinking water and wastewater services to rural and small communities1 and ,indian ,tribes1 to assist in identifying low-income households and to carry out this section4 7h7 ,administrative costs ,a ,state or ,indian ,tribe that receives a grant under this section may use up to #ae percent of the granted amounts for administrative costs4 7i7 ,federal agency coordination ,in carrying out this section1 the ,secretary shall coordinate with the ,administrator of the ,environmental ,protection ,agency and consult with other ,federal agencies with authority over the provision of drinking water and wastewater services4 7j7 ,audits ,the ,secretary shall require each ,state and ,indian ,tribe receiving a grant under this section to undertake periodic audits and evaluations of expenditures made by such ,state or ,indian ,tribe pursuant to this section4 7k7 ,reports to ,congress ,the ,secretary shall submit to ,congress a report on the results of activities carried out pursuant to this section-- 7#a7 not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this section2 and 7#b7 upon disbursement of all funds appropriated pursuant to this section4 7l7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,indian ,tribe ,the term ,indian ,tribe means any ,indian ,tribe1 band1 group1 or community recognized by the ,secretary of the ,interior and exercising governmental authority over a ,federal ,indian reservation4 7#b7 ,municipality ,the term municipality has the meaning given such term in section #ejb of the ,federal ,water ,pollution ,control ,act 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 #acfb74 7#c7 ,public health emergency ,the term public health emergency means the public health emergency described in section #aace7;g77#a77;,b7 of the ,social ,security ,act4 7#d7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services4 7#e7 ,state ,the term ,state means a ,state1 the ,district of ,columbia1 the ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1 the ,virgin ,islands of the ,united ,states1 ,guam1 ,american ,samoa1 and the ,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana ,islands4