Italicized items indicate new legislation or a change in status since last month
Senate Bills
S. 7: To improve the resilience of the United States to extreme weather events and to prevent the worsening of extreme weather conditions
Placeholder legislation for a future extreme weather bill.
Sponsor: Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.)
Status: Introduced 1/22/13; referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Justice, and Science.
S. 67: The Secure Water Facilities Act
Requires certain water and wastewater utilities to review “inherently safer technology” options, and allows government regulators to force certain utilities to implement “IST” measures.
Sponsor: Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.)
Status: Introduced 1/23/13; referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
S. 175: To amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to improve the use of certain registered pesticides.
Bars the federal government from requiring additional permits for pesticides that are used in a manner consistent with their FIFRA label.
Sponsor: Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.)
Status: Introduced 1/29/13; referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
S. 332: The Climate Protection Act
Seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by taxing carbon emissions, ends the Safe Drinking Water Act hydraulic fracturing exemption, and requires fracking companies to disclose chemicals used in the process.
Sponsor: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
Status: Introduced 2/14/13; referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
S. 335: The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA)
Creates a new EPA program to offer low-cost financing to large drinking water and wastewater projects seeking loans of at least $20 million.
Sponsor: Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.)
Status: Similar proposal passed by the Senate as Title X of S. 601, 5/15/13.
S. 396: The Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-Know Act
Requires owners of publicly-owned treatment works to provide timely alerts to the public on sewer overflows.
Sponsor: Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.)
Status: Introduced 2/27/13; referred to Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
S. 601: The Water Resources Development Act
Authorizes funding for Army Corps water resources projects, and authorizes a new WIFIA pilot program (similar to S. 335).
Sponsor: Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.)
Status: Approved by the Senate, 5/15/13.
S. 802: The Sensible Environmental Protection Act
Prevents EPA and state environmental agencies from requiring NPDES permit applications for pesticides that are already registered for use under FIFRA.
Sponsor: Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.)
Status: Introduced 4/24/13; referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
S. 864: The Grassroots Rural and Small Community Water Systems Assistance Act
Reauthorizes SDWA technical assistance for small community water systems serving fewer than 10,000 people.
Sponsor: Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)
Status: Introduced 5/6/13; referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
S. 954: The Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act
Reauthorizes USDA programs through 2018 and consolidates the existing Agricultural Water Enhancement Program into a new Regional Conservation Partnership Program.
Sponsor: Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.)
Status: Approved by the Senate, 6/10/13.
S. 970: The Water Resources Research Amendments Act
Reauthorizes federal grant funding for water research, training, and public outreach activities.
Sponsor: Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.)
Status: Introduced 5/16/13; referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
S. 1006: The Preserve the Waters of the United States Act
Blocks the Obama Administration from finalizing a guidance on the scope of the Clean Water Act and forbids the use of any similar guidance in the future.
Sponsor: Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wy.)
Status: Introduced 5/22/13; referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
S. 1135: The Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act
Companion legislation to H.R. 1921, requiring the disclosure of the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing fluids and removing the oil and gas industry’s exemption from the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Sponsor: Sen. Robert Casey (D-Penn.)
Status: Introduced 6/11/13; referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
S. 1353: The Cybersecurity Act
Directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to work with critical infrastructure stakeholders to develop voluntary cybersecurity standards and best practices.
Sponsor: Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.)
Status: Approved by the Senate Committee on Commerce, 7/30/13.
S. 1508: The Water Infrastructure Resiliency and Sustainability Act
Companion legislation to H.R. 765, creating a new competitive program through which water systems can access matching funding to adapt their infrastructure to changing hydrological conditions.
Sponsor: Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.)
Status: Introduced 9/17/13; referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
S. 1638: The Cybersecurity Public Awareness Act
Requires the Department of Homeland Security to submit an unclassified report to Congress every three years on cyber threats facing each critical infrastructure sector.
Sponsor: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)
Status: Introduced 10/31/13; referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
S. 1677: The Innovative Stormwater Infrastructure Act
Directs EPA to establish five “centers of excellence” to develop and study new, nature-based methods of controlling stormwater, and offers grants to other green stormwater control projects.
Sponsor: Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.)
Status: Introduced 11/12/13; referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
S. 1716: The Building and Renewing Infrastructure for Development and Growth in Employment (BRIDGE) Act
Establishes an independent authority to oversee a multibillion-dollar infrastructure bank to repair bridges, highways, water and sewer systems and other infrastructure.
Sponsor: Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.)
Status: Introduced 11/14/13; referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
House Bills
H.R. 123: The Water Advanced Technologies for Efficient Resource Use Act
Formally authorizes EPA’s WaterSense program.
Sponsor: Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.)
Status: Introduced 1/3/13; referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
H.R. 202: To limit citizens suits against publicly owned treatment works
Bars citizen suits against publicly owned treatment works to enforce an effluent standard unless the POTW is in significant non-compliance as defined by an EPA guidance document.
Sponsor: Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.)
Status: Introduced 1/4/13; referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
H.R. 624: The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act
Provides for the sharing of cyber threat intelligence and cyber threat information among the intelligence community, cybersecurity entities, and the private sector.
Sponsor: Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.)
Status: Approved by the House of Representatives, 4/18/13.
H.R. 654: To reauthorize technical assistance to small public water systems
Reauthorizes Safe Drinking Water Act technical assistance for community water systems that serve fewer than 10,000 people.
Sponsor: Rep. Gregg Harper (R-Miss.)
Status: Introduced 2/13/13; referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
H.R. 745: To reauthorize the Water Desalination Act of 1996
Reauthorizes the Desalination Act of 1996, allocating $3 million per year for desalination research through 2018.
Sponsor: Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.)
Status: Introduced 2/15/13; referred to the House Committees on Natural Resources and Science, Space, and Technology.
H.R. 765: The Water Infrastructure Resiliency and Sustainability Act
Creates a new competitive program through which water systems can access matching funding to adapt their infrastructure to changing hydrological conditions.
Sponsor: Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.)
Status: Introduced 2/15/13; referred to the House Committees on Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Natural Resources.
H.R. 888: The General Duty Clarification Act
Clarifies EPA’s regulatory authority over chemical storage practices under the Clean Air Act and blocks the implementation of “inherently safer technology” mandates using Sec. 112(r) of the Clean Air Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.)
Status: Introduced 2/28/13; referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
H.R. 935: The Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act
Prevents EPA and state environmental agencies from requiring NPDES permit applications for pesticides that are already registered for use under FIFRA.
Sponsor: Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-Oh.)
Status: Introduced 3/4/13; referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
H.R. 949: The Invest in American Jobs Act
Applies “Buy America” requirements for the use of iron, steel, and manufactured goods on projects funded in whole or in part through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.
Sponsor: Rep. Nick Rahall (R-W.V.)
Status: Introduced 3/5/13; referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
H.R. 1877: The Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act
Reauthorizes the CWSRF program while establishing a new clean water trust fund and a loan program for large-scale wastewater infrastructure projects.
Sponsor: Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.)
Status: Introduced 5/9/13; referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
H.R. 1947: The Federal Agricultural Reform and Risk Management (FARRM) Act
Reauthorizes USDA programs through 2018 and consolidates the existing Agricultural Water Enhancement Program into a new Regional Conservation Partnership Program.
Sponsor: Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.)
Status: Rejected by the House of Representatives, 6/20/13.
H.R. 1948: The Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act
Restricts the ability of EPA to issue revised water quality standards for pollutants if a state has already adopted a standard that has been approved by EPA.
Sponsor: Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.)
Status: Introduced 5/13/13; referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
H.R. 1921: The Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act,
Requires the disclosure of the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing fluids and removes the oil and gas industry’s exemption from the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Sponsor: Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.)
Status: Introduced 5/9/13; referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
H.R. 2084: The Partnership to Build America Act
Establishes a $50 billion infrastructure bank to fund transportation, energy, water, communications and education projects.
Sponsor: Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.)
Status: Introduced 5/22/13; referred to the House Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Ways and Means.
H.R. 2553: The National Infrastructure Development Act
Establishes a new government-owned corporation to evaluate and fund a range of water, wastewater, transportation, aviation, port, and school infrastructure projects.
Sponsor: Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.)
Status: Introduced 6/27/13; referred to the House Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure; Financial Services; and Ways and Means.
H.R. 2642: The Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (FARRM) Act
Reauthorizes USDA programs through 2018 and consolidates the existing Agricultural Water Enhancement Program into a new Regional Conservation Partnership Program.
Sponsor: Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.)
Status: Passed by the House of Representatives, 7/18/13.
H.R. 2952: The Critical Infrastructure Research and Development Advancement (CIRDA) Act
Establishes a strategy to promote research and development of critical infrastructure security technologies at DHS.
Sponsor: Rep. Patrick Meehan (D-Penn.)
Status: Approved by the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies, 9/18/13.
H.R. 2983: The Safe Hydration is an American Right in Energy Development Act
Requires of hydraulic fracturing operators to test the quality of underground sources of drinking water before and after drilling activities occur.
Sponsor: Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.)
Status: Introduced 8-2-13; referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
H.R. 3080: The Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA)
Authorizes U.S. Army Corps of Engineers water resource infrastructure projects, and streamlines environmental permitting requirements.
Sponsor: Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Penn.)
Status: Approved by the House of Representatives, 10/23/13.
H.R. 3449: The Innovative Stormwater Infrastructure Act
Companion legislation to S. 1677, directing EPA to establish five “centers of excellence” to develop new, nature-based methods of controlling stormwater.
Sponsor: Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.)
Status: Introduced 11/12/13; referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.