Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act of 2021
Latest action · Jun 29, 2021 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 52.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMay 18, 2021
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act of 2021
This bill provides support for drinking water infrastructure and requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address the safety and affordability of drinking water.
Specifically, the bill reauthorizes and establishes several programs for drinking water infrastructure. For example, it reauthorizes through FY2031 the drinking water state revolving fund.
In addition, the bill revises requirements concerning the safety of drinking water, including by requiring the EPA to promulgate national primary drinking water regulations for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (commonly known as PFAS), microcystin toxin, and 1,4–dioxane. PFAS are man-made and may have adverse human health effects. A variety of products contain the compounds, such as nonstick cookware or weatherproof clothing. Microcystin is a toxin that is produced by certain algae. The solvent known as 1,4–dioxane may also have adverse human health effects. It is used in variety of products, such as adhesives, sealants, and printing inks.
The EPA must also implement a residential emergency relief program that assists customers of public water systems with paying drinking water bill. Under the program, the EPA must provide payments to public water systems to reimburse them for forgiving their customers' debts or fees for services provided since March 1, 2020, in order to help the customers retain, reconnect, or restore water services. Public water systems that receive payments may not disconnect or interrupt their customer's service because of such debt or fees.
Finally, the bill directs the Government Accountability Office to report on issues relating to the potential for consolidation of certain distressed and small public water systems.
Cosponsors 2
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 18, 2021 to Jun 24, 2021; 1 is an original cosponsor, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-NJ | Frank Pallone, Jr. | Original | May 18, 2021 |
| D-NV | Steven Horsford | Jun 24, 2021 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Energy and Commerce Committee | Referred May 18, 2021Markup Jun 23, 2021Reported Jun 29, 2021 |
| Environment Subcommittee | Referred May 21, 2021Markup Jun 16, 2021Reported Jun 16, 2021 |
Actions 10
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jun 29, 2021Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 117-76.
- Jun 29, 2021Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 52.
- Jun 23, 2021Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Jun 23, 2021Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 32 - 24.
- Jun 16, 2021Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Jun 16, 2021Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 14 - 9 .
- May 21, 2021Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change.
- May 19, 2021Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H2594)
- May 18, 2021Introduced in House
- May 18, 2021Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
In the Congressional Record 1
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House | Debate and remarks H2594 | Paul Tonko D-NY | May 19, 2021 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Committee report
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 167, no. 86, May 18, 2021, page H2541.
Printed hearings 1
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serial No. 117-34 | THE CLEAN FUTURE ACT AND DRINKING WATER: LEGISLATION TO ENSURE DRINKING WATER IS SAFE AND CLEAN144 pages | Energy and Commerce Committee | May 25, 2021 |
Related bills 4
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 3292 | Water Debt Relief Act of 2021 | Related bill | May 19, 2021 |
| HR 3684 | Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act | Related bill | Aug 4, 2022 |
| HR 4284 | Clean Drinking Water Equity Act | Related bill | Jul 1, 2021 |
| HR 4805 | Safe School Drinking Water Act | Related bill | Jul 30, 2021 |
Titles 3
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to provide assistance for States, territories, areas affected by natural disasters, and water systems and schools affected by PFAS or lead, and to require the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate national primary drinking water regulations for PFAS, microcystin toxin, and 1,4-dioxane, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act of 2021
- Short Title(s) as Reported to House
- Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act of 2021
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Environmental Protection.
- Administrative law and regulatory procedures
- American Samoa
- Buy American requirements
- Child care and development
- Child health
- Consumer credit
- Disaster relief and insurance
- Education programs funding
- Educational facilities and institutions
- Elementary and secondary education
- Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
- Environmental health
- Environmental Protection
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Environmental regulatory procedures
- Environmental technology
- Government information and archives
- Guam
- Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
- Indian social and development programs
- Materials
- Metals
- Natural disasters
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Poverty and welfare assistance
- Public utilities and utility rates
- Racial and ethnic relations
- State and local finance
- U.S. territories and protectorates
- Virgin Islands
- Water quality
- Water resources funding
- Water use and supply
Text 2
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jun 29, 2021Reported in House
- May 18, 2021Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
