Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Water Infrastructure Trust Fund Act of 2019”.
Water Infrastructure Trust Fund Act of 2019
A BILL
To establish a Water Infrastructure Trust Fund, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Establishment and funding of Water Infrastructure Trust Fund
Water Infrastructure Trust Fund—
In general— Subchapter A of chapter 98 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to establishment of trust funds) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
“9512. Water Infrastructure Trust Fund
“(a) Creation of trust fund—There is established in the Treasury of the United States a trust fund to be known as the “Water Infrastructure Trust Fund”, consisting of such amounts as may be appropriated or credited to such fund as provided in this section or section 9602(b).
“(b) Transfers to trust fund—There are hereby appropriated to the Water Infrastructure Trust Fund amounts equivalent to the fees received in the Treasury before January 1, 2025, under section 2(b) of the Water Infrastructure Trust Fund Act of 2019.
“(c) Expenditures—Except as provided by subsection (d), amounts in the Water Infrastructure Trust Fund shall be available, without further appropriation, as follows:
“(1) 50 percent of the amounts shall be available to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency for making capitalization grants under section 601 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1381).
“(2) 50 percent of the amounts shall be available to the Administrator for making capitalization grants under section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–12).
“(d) Limitation on expenditures—Amounts in the Water Infrastructure Trust Fund may not be made available for a fiscal year unless the funds appropriated to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund through annual capitalization grants is not less than the average of the annual amounts provided in capitalization grants under section 601 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1381) and section 1452 of the Safe Water Drinking Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–12) for the 5-fiscal-year period immediately preceding such fiscal year.”
Clerical amendment— The table of sections for subchapter A of chapter 98 of such Code is amended by adding at the end the following new item:
Voluntary labeling system—
In general— The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Administrator of the Food and Drug Administration, manufacturers, producers, and importers, shall develop and implement a program under which the Secretary provides a label designed in consultation with manufacturers, producers, and importers suitable for placement on products to inform consumers that the manufacturer, producer, or importer of the product, and other stakeholders, participates in the Water Infrastructure Trust Fund and is contributing to America’s clean water.
Fee— The Secretary shall provide a label for a fee of 3 cents per unit. Amounts received by the Secretary shall be deposited in the general fund of the Treasury.
Effective date— The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Sec. 3 EPA Study on Water Pricing
Study— The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, with participation by the States, shall conduct a study to—
assess the affordability gap faced by low-income populations located in urban and rural areas in obtaining services from clean water and drinking water systems; and
analyze options for programs to provide incentives for rate adjustments at the local level to achieve “full cost” or “true value” pricing for such services, while protecting low-income ratepayers from undue burden.
Report— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate a report on the results of the study required under subsection (a).