CHARLESTON, W.Va. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), chairman of the Committee on Environment and Public Works’ (EPW) Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, today announced the Committee’s release of draft water resources development legislation known as America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2020 and the Drinking Water Infrastructure Act of 2020. As chair of EPW’s Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, Chairman Capito helped write these bills and made sure West Virginia priorities were included in the drafts.
“Strengthening and improving America’s infrastructure has always been a top priority of mine. As chairman of EPW’s Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, I’m proud of the role I played in negotiating this draft legislation and the way we worked across the aisle to do so,” Chairman Capito said. “During these negotiations, I was able to secure many provisions that will have a positive impact in West Virginia—including improvements to our water and wastewater systems, unlocking more funding for our inland waterways infrastructure, and providing more support for our flood control infrastructure. Additionally, I was especially proud to have included a $120 million program I authored for water and wastewater infrastructure in Central Appalachia. This bipartisan legislation makes important changes and updates such as these that will help not only improve the health and wellbeing of West Virginians, but also others in communities across the nation. I look forward to moving this legislation into the final stages and making sure these measures and other legislative solutions remain in the bill throughout the process.”
The draft America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2020—authored by Senators Capito and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) who serve as chairman and ranking member of the EPW Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure—includes approximately $17 billion in new federal authorizations. Specifically, the bill 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 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.
In lieu of a hearing, the EPW Committee will hold an information gathering process on the draft legislation starting on April 22, 2020.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
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:
This draft legislation authored by Senator Capito builds on the bipartisan success of the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (AWIA), which President Trump signed into law on October 19, 2018. 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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