H.R. 6060

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6060 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6060

To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to 
establish a program to provide grants to units of local governments, 
drinking water systems, and federally recognized Indian Tribes for the 
replacement of lead, galvanized steel, and iron service lines and lead 
drinking water mains, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

November 17, 2025

Mr. Krishnamoorthi introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to 
establish a program to provide grants to units of local governments, 
drinking water systems, and federally recognized Indian Tribes for the 
replacement of lead, galvanized steel, and iron service lines and lead 
drinking water mains, 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 ``Safe and Fair Elimination of Taps 
with Lead Service Lines Act'' or the ``SAFE Taps Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) The presence of lead in drinking water poses a grave 
and ongoing threat to public health in the United States. The 
Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention agree that there is no known safe level 
of lead exposure, which causes irreversible neurological damage 
in children and serious health conditions in adults.
(2) Lead service lines, which connect drinking water mains 
to millions of homes, schools, and childcare facilities, are 
the most significant source of lead contamination in drinking 
water. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 9.2 
million lead service lines serve water to buildings in 
communities across the United States.
(3) The Environmental Protection Agency, through subpart I 
of part 141 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, has 
mandated the full replacement of most lead service lines within 
a 10-year period, placing a significant legal and financial 
obligation on units of local governments and public water 
systems.
(4) While State revolving loan funds established under 
section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-12) 
are a critical tool to finance water infrastructure, the 
primary structure of such funds as a loan program is inadequate 
to meet the needs of many communities facing the lead service 
line replacement mandate under subpart I of part 141 of title 
40, Code of Federal Regulations. Financially distressed and 
disadvantaged communities often lack the debt capacity to 
accept loans or the technical capacity to navigate the complex 
application process under a State revolving loan fund.
(5) The funds made available for lead service line 
replacement projects and associated activities by the 
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58) 
provided a historic and vital down payment for lead service 
line replacement, but the overwhelming demand for these funds 
demonstrated that a substantial funding gap remains and that a 
loan-based system presents significant barriers to the most 
vulnerable communities.
(6) In many older communities, lead service lines are 
connected to aging drinking water mains that are also at or 
near the end of their useful life. Forcing municipalities to 
replace lead service lines without addressing these 
deteriorating drinking water mains is fiscally inefficient and 
fails to ensure the long-term integrity of the water system.
(7) A dedicated Federal grant program is therefore 
necessary to ensure the equitable, efficient, and timely 
replacement of all lead service lines and drinking water mains 
that are not lead free to protect public health, to achieve 
compliance with subpart I of part 141 of title 40, Code of 
Federal Regulations, and to advance environmental justice for 
all Americans.

SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF LEAD, GALVANIZED STEEL, 
AND IRON SERVICE LINES AND LEAD DRINKING WATER MAINS.

(a) Establishment.--The Administrator shall establish a program to 
provide grants, subject to the availability of appropriations, to 
eligible recipients to pay for eligible project costs.
(b) Labor Standards.--All laborers and mechanics employed by 
contractors or subcontractors in the performance of construction, 
alteration, or repair work financed in whole or in part with a grant 
provided under the program shall be paid wages at rates not less than 
those prevailing on similar work in the locality as determined by the 
Secretary of Labor in accordance with subchapter IV of chapter 31 of 
title 40, United States Code (commonly referred to as the ``Davis-Bacon 
Act'').

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
(2) Eligible project costs.--The term ``eligible project 
costs'' means costs to--
(A) replace a lead service line;
(B) replace galvanized steel or iron service lines 
that are or were downstream of lead components;
(C) replace a drinking water main that is not lead 
free;
(D) plan for or otherwise design the replacement of 
a lead service line, galvanized steel or iron service 
line, or drinking water main using a grant provided 
under the program;
(E) develop or update any inventory of lead service 
lines; and
(F) restore the site at which a service line or 
drinking water main is replaced using a grant provided 
under the program.
(3) Eligible recipient.--The term ``eligible recipient'' 
means--
(A) a unit of local government;
(B) a public water system; or
(C) a federally recognized Indian Tribe.
(4) Lead free.--The term ``lead free'' has the meaning 
given such term in section 1417(d)(1) of the Safe Drinking 
Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300g-6(d)(1)).
(5) Lead service line.--The term ``lead service line'' has 
the meaning given such term in section 1459B(a) of the Safe 
Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-19b(a)).
(6) Program.--The term ``program'' means the program 
established under section 3(a).
(7) Public water system.--The term ``public water system'' 
has the meaning given such term in section 1401(4) of the Safe 
Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f(4)).
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