Water Infrastructure Financing Act Clears Senate Committee

摘要

The clean water Act (CWA) and the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) were last reauthorized in respectively 1987 and 1996. Although the authorizations for the state revolving fund (SRF) programs called for in both laws have expired, Congress has continued to provide annual appropriations for the loan programs. Despite multiple attempts, lawmakers in the House and the Senate have failed to reach agreement during the past several congresses on legislation that would reauthorize the nation's most important water laws. In May a key Senate committee passed legislation that would revamp both laws, most notably by significantly boosting SRF funding levels. Additional hurdles remain, however, including a possible floor fight in the Senate.