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Assistance for Rural Water Systems Act of 2025
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 would expand federal assistance to rural water, wastewater, and waste disposal systems by authorizing the Secretary of Agriculture to provide grants and zero or one percent interest loans to eligible entities. The Secretary could also forgive or modify existing loans, or refinance other loans for these rural water systems. Assistance would be available to ensure adequate public health and safety services, or to help entities in economically disadvantaged areas. The Secretary would establish standards for determining water service affordability and identifying disadvantaged areas eligible for assistance.
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)
- Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (D-NH)
1 cosponsor
- Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC] (R-NC)
Actions (2)
- Feb 27, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. · senate
- Feb 27, 2025 Introduced in Senate
More bills on these subjects (8)
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Similar bills (6)
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Full text
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 27, 2025
Mrs. Shaheen (for herself and Mr. Tillis) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
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 2025”.
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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