,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dacd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #af1    
#bjbd,mr4 ,padilla introduced the       
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,environment and ,public ,works  ,a     
,,bill  ,to amend the ,water            
,infrastructure ,finance and ,innovation
 ,act of #bjad with respect to the total
 amount of ,federal assistance for      
projects in ,states experiencing severe 
drought and projects in historically    
disadvantaged communities1 and for other
 purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,drought ,relief    
,obtained ,using ,government ,help      
,today ,act of #bjbd or the ,,drought   
,act of #bjbd4  #b4 ,federal assistance 
for certain water infrastructure        
projects ,section #ejbi7;b77#i7 of the  
,water ,infrastructure ,finance and     
,innovation ,act of #bjad 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4
 #cijh7;b77#i77 is amended by adding at 
the end the following3  7,d7 ,exceptions

 for certain projects  7i7 ,projects in 
,states experiencing severe drought     
,notwithstanding subparagraph 7,a71 the 
,administrator may finance up to #ij    
percent of the costs of a project       
described in paragraph 7#f7 or 7#g7 of  
section #ejbf located in-- 7,i7 a ,state
 that has been designated as ,d#b       
7severe drought7 or greater according to
 the ,united ,states ,drought ,monitor  
for a minimum of #d weeks during any of 
the #c years preceding the date on which
 assistance is provided for the project 
under this subtitle2 or  7,,ii7 a county
 for which a drought emergency has been 
declared by the applicable ,governor at 
any time during the #c-year period      
preceding that date4  7ii7 ,projects in 
historically disadvantaged communities  
,notwithstanding subparagraph 7,a71 the 
,administrator may finance up to #ij    
percent of the costs of a project       
described in paragraph 7#f7 or 7#g7 of  
section #ejbf that serves a community   
that-- 7,i7 is designated as            

disadvantaged1 underserved1 or          
financially distressed by-- 7aa7 the    
,climate and ,economic ,justice         
,screening ,tool of the ,council on     
,environmental ,quality2 or  7bb7 the   
,administrator pursuant to a water      
infrastructure program of the           
,environmental ,protection ,agency1     
including water infrastructure grant    
programs1 clean water and drinking water
 grant programs1 and other grant        
programs under the ,safe ,drinking      
,water ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cjj;f et    
seq47 and the ,federal ,water           
,protection ,control ,act 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4
 #abea et seq472 or  7,,ii7 meets the   
affordability criteria established by a 
,state pursuant to section #adeb7;d77#c7
 of the ,safe ,drinking ,water ,act 7#db
 ,u4,s4,c4 #cjj;j-#ab7;d77#c77 or       
section #fjc7;i77#b7 of the ,federal    
,water ,pollution ,control ,act 7#cc    
,u4,s4,c4 #achc7;i77#b774  7iii7        
,priority ,in carrying out this         
subparagraph1 the ,administrator shall  

prioritize financing for projects that--
 7,i7 are located in a ,state that is   
experiencing severe drought1 as         
described in subclause 7,i7 of clause   
7i71 or a county for which a drought    
emergency has been declared1 as         
described in subclause 7,,ii7 of that   
clause2 and  7,,ii7 serve a community   
that is designated as disadvantaged1    
underserved1 or financially distressed1 
or meets affordability criteria         
established by a ,state1 as described in
 clause 7ii74  4