Public Utility Remediation and Enhancement for Water Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 4961
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Environmental Protection
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-08-13: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
- Last Updated
- 2025-10-07T08:05:42Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (Clean Water Act) to create a new federal grant program. Its goal is to help publicly owned treatment works (such as municipal wastewater facilities) plan, build, or upgrade systems to address emerging contaminants, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and to meet related federal treatment standards.
Key Provisions
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator must establish the grant program within 180 days of enactment.
- Grants may fund the planning, design, and construction of treatment works to prevent or treat discharges of PFAS or other emerging contaminants identified by the EPA.
- Grants may also support compliance with pretreatment standards or effluent limitations under the Clean Water Act that involve these contaminants.
- The federal government covers at least 75% of project costs; the remaining share can come from public or private funds, in-kind services, or loans from state water pollution control revolving funds.
- Projects must follow the same administrative rules as state revolving fund projects, with limited exceptions.
- The program is authorized at $200 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2028.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill adds a new Section 228 to Title II of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. This creates a dedicated grant authority focused on emerging contaminants, separate from existing Clean Water Act funding mechanisms. It expands federal support for treatment infrastructure beyond traditional pollutants and sets a higher federal cost-share minimum (75%) than many current programs.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Increases EPA administrative responsibilities and directs new federal spending; state revolving funds may see greater use as matching sources.
- Citizens: Aims to improve water quality by reducing contaminant discharges from wastewater systems, potentially lowering exposure risks in communities served by public treatment works.
- International relations: No direct effects identified in the legislation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Owners and operators of publicly owned treatment works (primarily local governments and municipalities).
- The Environmental Protection Agency (as program administrator).
- State environmental agencies (through revolving fund coordination).
- Communities and residents reliant on public wastewater systems.
- Industries or entities that discharge emerging contaminants into these systems.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The bill relies on Congress’s spending authority under the Clean Water Act and does not alter core regulatory requirements. It maintains existing environmental review and labor standards by prohibiting waivers of certain statutory provisions. No major constitutional issues are raised in the text; the measure focuses on financial assistance rather than new mandates.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3]
Cosponsors (10)
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1], Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7], Rep. Stevens, Haley M. [D-MI-11], Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17], Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9], Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2], Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17], Rep. McDonald Rivet, Kristen [D-MI-8], Rep. Fletcher, Lizzie [D-TX-7], Rep. Levin, Mike [D-CA-49]
Recent Actions
- 2025-08-13: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
- 2025-08-12: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- 2025-08-12: Introduced in House
- 2025-08-12: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Public Utility Remediation and Enhancement for Water Act — issued 2025-08-12 — PDF (4 pages)