Emergency Assistance for Rural Water Systems Act

Emergency Assistance for Rural Water Systems Act

This bill allows, and provides funds for, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide grants and loans, as well as loan forgiveness, modification, and refinancing, to rural water or waste disposal facilities. Specifically, USDA may provide such assistance for purposes of ensuring public health, safety, and order and to address financial hardships, in particular those due to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7985 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7985

  To provide for assistance to rural water and waste disposal systems 
       affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 7, 2020

 Mr. Rouzer (for himself and Mr. Vela) introduced the following bill; 
           which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide for assistance to rural water and waste disposal systems 
       affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, 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 ``Emergency Assistance for Rural Water 
Systems Act''.

SEC. 2. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR RURAL WATER SYSTEMS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture (in this section 
referred to as the ``Secretary'') may--
            (1) provide a grant, a zero interest loan, or a 1 percent 
        loan to, forgive principal or interest or modify any term or 
        condition of an outstanding loan made to, or 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 of the 
        Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act) made to, a rural 
        water 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 of 
        such Act; or
            (2) reduce or eliminate any fee that is or would otherwise 
        be required to be paid under such section 306(a)(1) with 
        respect to a loan guarantee provided to any rural water, waste 
        water, or waste disposal facility, on the condition that the 
        borrower receives the benefit resulting from the reduction or 
        elimination of the fee.
    (b) Level of Assistance.--The Secretary may provide assistance to 
an entity under this section as the Secretary determines is necessary 
to--
            (1) ensure that the entity has the necessary resources to 
        maintain public health, safety, or order;
            (2) address financial hardships of the entity due to the 
        COVID-19 public health emergency; and
            (3) promote the financial stability of the entity.
    (c) Use of Funds.--An entity to which assistance is provided under 
this section may use the assistance--
            (1) for any purpose for which the entity is eligible for 
        assistance under the relevant provision of law referred to in 
        subsection (a); or
            (2) for any direct operational expenses of a water, 
        wastewater, or waste disposal facility incurred by the entity, 
        as determined by the Secretary.
    (d) Appropriation.--
            (1) In general.--Out of any money in the Treasury of the 
        United States not otherwise appropriated, there are 
        appropriated $1,000,000,000 to carry out this section.
            (2) Reservation for administrative expenses.--The Secretary 
        shall reserve 3 percent of the amount appropriated by paragraph 
        (1) for administrative expenses incurred in carrying out this 
        section.
            (3) Availability.--The amounts appropriated in paragraph 
        (1) shall remain available through December 31, 2021.
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