Legislation

Congressman David Valadao (CA-21)  has introduced legislation he says will provide emergency drought relief to the Central Valley. The Necessary to Ensure Expeditious Delivery of Water Act, or NEED Water Act, would protect water currently in the Central Valley Project system for human needs and reduce regulatory burdens in order …

Last week the Biden administration submitted to Congress the President’s budget for fiscal year 2022 which includes a $1.5 billion investment for the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation. “Drought, climate change, and issues of equity and sustainability as well as the continuous need to secure and modernize our …

Last week US Senator Jeff Merkley introduced legislation that would create a new program to cancel utility debts for millions of low-income households and bail out struggling utility companies The Maintaining Access to Essential Services Act of 2021 would provide $30 billion in low-interest loans for electric, water and sewage …

Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Palm Desert, introduced legislation last week that would alter the way the federal government enforces clean drinking water requirements. According to Ruiz, H.R. 3286, the Emergency Order Assurance, Safety, and Inspection of water Systems (Emergency OASIS Act) would strengthen Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ability to protect communities from …

Earlier this week Governor Gavin Newsom proposed a $5.1 billion package of drought response and long-term water resilience investments to address immediate, emergency needs, build regional capacity to endure drought and safeguard water supplies. “Shoring up our water resilience, especially in small and disadvantaged communities, is imperative to safeguarding the …

The Biden Administration unveiled a more than $2 trillion infrastructure package Wednesday which included $111 billion earmarked for improvements to the nation’s drinking water infrastructure. The American Jobs Plan highlights the need to upgrade and modernize America’s drinking water, wastewater, and storm water systems; including replacing lead pipes, tackling new …