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Assistance for Rural Water Systems Act of 2026
To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to provide additional assistance to rural water, wastewater, and waste disposal systems, and for other purposes.
Summary
This bill amends federal farm and rural development law to expand assistance for rural water, wastewater, and waste disposal systems. It allows the Secretary of Agriculture to provide grants, zero-interest loans, or one-percent-interest loans to eligible rural water facilities. The Secretary can also forgive or modify existing loans for these systems or refinance other eligible loans. Assistance can be provided to help systems maintain public health and safety, or to address financial hardships in economically disadvantaged areas. The Secretary must establish standards to identify which areas qualify as disadvantaged and measure the affordability of water services.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
1 cosponsor
Actions (3)
- Mar 20, 2026 Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development. · house
- Feb 12, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture. · house
- Feb 12, 2026 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
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Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 12, 2026
Mr. Davis of North Carolina (for himself and Mr. Johnson of South Dakota) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
A BILL
To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to provide additional assistance to rural water, wastewater, and waste disposal systems, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Assistance for Rural Water Systems Act of 2026”.
SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR RURAL WATER SYSTEMS.
Subtitle A of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act is amended by inserting after section 306A (7 U.S.C. 1926a) the following:
“SEC. 306B. ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR RURAL WATER SYSTEMS.
“(a) Definition of Eligible Entity.—In this section, the term ‘eligible entity’ means a rural water, wastewater, or waste disposal facility with respect to which assistance may be provided under a water, wastewater, or waste disposal program under section 306(a), 306A, 306C, or 306D.
“(b) Additional Assistance.—
“(1) Grants and loans.—The Secretary may provide a grant, a zero percent interest loan, or a 1 percent interest loan to an eligible entity.
“(2) Existing loans.—The Secretary may—
“(A) forgive principal or interest or modify any term or condition of an outstanding loan made to an eligible entity; or
“(B) refinance part or all of any other loan (if the purpose of the loan is an eligible purpose under section 306(a)(1) or 306C) made to an eligible entity.
“(3) Limitation.—The Secretary may not provide assistance under paragraph (2) with respect to a loan made under paragraph
(1).
“(c) Eligible Purposes.—The Secretary may provide assistance to an eligible entity under subsection (b) as the Secretary determines is necessary—
“(1) to ensure that the eligible entity has the necessary resources to maintain public health, safety, or order; or
“(2) to address financial hardships of the eligible entity, if the eligible entity is located in a disadvantaged or economically distressed area, as determined under subsection
(d).
“(d) Determination.—To determine whether an eligible entity may receive assistance pursuant to subsection (c)(2), the Secretary shall establish—
“(1) a residential indicator of affordable water services in each State or local or geographic area, calculated using the cost per household as a percentage of median household income; and
“(2) factors relating to disadvantaged or economically distressed areas.”. <all>
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