Barrasso and Carper release drafts of America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2020 and the Drinking Water Infrastructure Act.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-WY) and Tom Carper (D-DE), released drafts of two pieces of water infrastructure legislation. The two bills include draft water resources development legislation, titled America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2020 (AWIA 2020), and draft drinking water legislation, titled the Drinking Water Infrastructure Act of 2020. Both of these draft bills build on the bipartisan success of America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 that passed Congress and was signed into law by President Trump.

“America’s water infrastructure supports our economy and keeps communities safe,” said Barrasso. “Our committee is working together to improve the nation’s dams, ports, flood-prevention infrastructure, reservoirs, and drinking water systems. These draft bills will help create jobs and grow the economy. The draft legislation will help ensure American-made goods are safely shipped from one state to another and that the water Americans are drinking is safe. President Trump has called on Congress to pass comprehensive infrastructure legislation, once we are past the immediate health crisis. Our bipartisan highway infrastructure bill and these draft water infrastructure bills will answer that call. I want to thank the members of our committee for their hard work and look forward to advancing these important bills.”

“These two draft pieces of legislation address critical water infrastructure on which everyone in this country relies. From the infrastructure that keeps our drinking water safe and clean, to the levees, dams and ports that support our communities and economy, these vital parts of American infrastructure are many times overlooked and neglected,” said Carper. “As drafted, these bills would improve projects’ resiliency to extreme weather events, increase the transparency and accountability of federally-funded projects and ensure that every community can benefit from federal funding and support – especially the smaller, rural and vulnerable communities that have been disregarded for far too long. By releasing these drafts, the committee will be able to gain critical insights and gather more feedback from stakeholders to improve the bills.” 

The draft of AWIA 2020 includes approximately $17 billion in new federal authorizations. It will support our nation’s economic competitiveness by increasing water storage, providing protection from dangerous floodwaters, deepening nationally significant ports, and maintaining the navigability of inland waterways across the country. It will also repair aging wastewater and irrigation systems. The draft bill was crafted with Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Ben Cardin (D-MD). Capito and Cardin serve as chairman and ranking member of the EPW Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

The draft of the Drinking Water Infrastructure Act of 2020 includes approximately $2.5 billion in federal authorizations. It reauthorizes programs under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to provide resources and technical assistance to communities to help meet their drinking water needs. The draft bill was crafted with Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). Cramer and Duckworth serve as chairman and ranking member of the EPW Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife.

Barrasso and Carper serve as chairman and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW). In lieu of a hearing, the EPW Committee will hold an information gathering process on both pieces of draft legislation starting on April 22, 2020. 

Read the one page summary of the draft legislation here.

Read the text of the draft AWIA 2020 here

Read the section-by-section of the draft AWIA 2020 here.

Read the text of the Drinking Water Infrastructure Act here.

Read the section-by-section of the Drinking Water Infrastructure Act here.

Background Information: 

On October 10, 2018, President Trump signed America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 into law. Introduced by Barrasso, Carper, Cardin and Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), AWIA was the most sweeping infrastructure legislation to be considered last Congress. The bipartisan water infrastructure legislation increased water storage, authorized federal funding for water projects, reduced flood risks, and improved drinking water systems. The bipartisan legislation passed the Senate by a vote of 99 to 1.

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