Healthy H2O Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 4721
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Environmental Protection
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-07-23: Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-10T08:07:28Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Healthy Drinking Water Affordability Act (H.R. 4721), also known as the Healthy H2O Act, aims to improve access to safe drinking water in rural areas by establishing a grant program. It addresses immediate contamination issues through financial assistance for point-of-entry (whole-building) and point-of-use (tap-specific) water treatment products, serving as an interim or long-term solution while larger infrastructure projects are underway. The program focuses on communities relying on private wells or facing public water supply challenges, without requiring compliance with federal, state, or local drinking water standards.
Key Provisions
- Program Establishment: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary must create the Healthy Drinking Water Affordability Assistance Program within 120 days of enactment. It provides grants to eligible recipients for purchasing, installing, and maintaining certified water treatment products that reduce health contaminants like lead, arsenic, nitrates, PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), and hexavalent chromium.
- Eligibility and Definitions:
- Eligible End Users: Rural individuals or entities, including homeowners, renters, owners of small multi-unit buildings (up to 25 units), licensed child-care facilities, and other facilities, who demonstrate contamination via a qualified water test or other approved documentation.
- Eligible Grant Recipients: Eligible end users or nonprofit organizations that assist them.
- Certified Products: Treatment systems and filter components must be verified by independent third-party certifiers (e.g., NSF International) to meet safety and performance standards for contaminant reduction.
- Qualified Installers and Maintenance: Work must be done by licensed or certified professionals following local regulations and manufacturer guidelines, with ongoing education requirements.
- Grant Uses:
- Purchase and installation of treatment products or replacement filters.
- Maintenance of systems.
- Water quality testing to identify contaminants.
- Nonprofits can also use funds for testing, result analysis, advising users, and coordinating installations.
- Grant Limits: Awards cover reasonable costs but exclude households or businesses with income over 150% of the state or territory's median nonmetropolitan household income (based on the latest census).
- Allocation Priorities: Funds prioritize private well users, address diverse water challenges, build local response capacity, and ensure access for both individuals and nonprofits.
- Reporting Requirements: The USDA must submit annual reports to Congress (starting one year after enactment) on barriers to safe water, contamination trends, technology use, program outcomes, and recommendations for improving access. Reports incorporate input from nonprofits and certification bodies to enhance data, education, and awareness.
- Funding: Authorizes $10 million annually for fiscal years 2025 through 2029.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1921 et seq.) by adding a new Section 306F in Subtitle A. It introduces a dedicated grant program for household-level water treatment, expanding beyond the Act's existing focus on broader rural infrastructure (e.g., water systems under Section 306). Unlike prior programs, it emphasizes quick-response, point-of-use solutions for private wells and unregulated contaminants, without tying assistance to full regulatory compliance.
Potential Impacts
- On Citizens: Rural residents, especially low- to moderate-income households using private wells, gain affordable access to tested water filters, potentially reducing health risks from contaminants like bacteria (e.g., E. coli) or chemicals. This could improve public health and economic stability in underserved areas, though benefits are limited to rural locations and income-eligible users.
- On Government Agencies: The USDA gains responsibility for program administration, regulation, grant management, and reporting, requiring new staff and resources. It may collaborate with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on contaminant standards but adds no new enforcement duties.
- On International Relations: No direct impacts; the program is domestic and focused on U.S. rural water quality.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Rural Residents and Households: Primary beneficiaries, including homeowners, renters, small property owners, and child-care facilities facing water contamination.
- Nonprofit Organizations: Eligible to receive and distribute grants, aiding testing, education, and installations for multiple users.
- Water Treatment Professionals: Installers, maintainers, and certifiers (e.g., plumbers, technicians) benefit from increased demand for qualified services.
- USDA and Federal Agencies: Responsible for implementation, oversight, and reporting; may involve EPA for technical standards.
- Communities and Local Governments: Indirectly supported through improved local water safety and capacity-building, though not direct recipients.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: The program relies on voluntary participation and does not create new enforceable standards, avoiding conflicts with the Safe Drinking Water Act (which regulates public systems). It promotes certified products to ensure efficacy but leaves verification to third parties, potentially reducing liability for the government. Income-based eligibility uses census data, ensuring fairness without means-testing complexity.
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's spending power under Article I to promote general welfare, particularly rural development. No apparent free speech, due process, or equal protection issues, as it targets voluntary aid without mandates.
- Political: Enhances federal support for rural America, addressing bipartisan concerns over water contamination (e.g., PFAS in agriculture-heavy areas). Annual reporting fosters transparency and could influence future funding or expansions, but the modest authorization ($10 million/year) limits scope compared to larger infrastructure bills.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (23)
Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1], Rep. Vasquez, Gabe [D-NM-2], Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6], Rep. Stevens, Haley M. [D-MI-11], Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1], Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21], Rep. Perez, Marie Gluesenkamp [D-WA-3], Rep. Morrison, Kelly [D-MN-3], Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22], Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7], Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17], Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-9], Rep. Davis, Donald G. [D-NC-1], Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5], Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7], Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9], Rep. Budzinski, Nikki [D-IL-13], Rep. Levin, Mike [D-CA-49], Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2], Rep. Van Orden, Derrick [R-WI-3], Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2], Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8], Rep. Norcross, Donald [D-NJ-1]
Recent Actions
- 2025-07-23: Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
- 2025-07-23: Introduced in House
- 2025-07-23: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Healthy Drinking Water Affordability Act — issued 2025-07-23 — PDF (19 pages)