Water System Threat Preparedness and Resilience Act of 2023

Hozzl · 2023-12-15T15:55:17Z

Explore the details of House Bill 1367 Water System Threat Preparedness and Resilience Act of 2023 currently in Congress. Get insights into its purpose, current status, sponsors, and potential impact on Water Resources Development. Stay informed on legislative developments.

12/15/2023, 3:55 PM

Summary of Bill HR 1367

Bill 118 hr 1367, also known as the Water System Threat Preparedness and Resilience Act of 2023, aims to enhance the preparedness and resilience of water systems in the United States in the face of various threats. The bill recognizes the importance of ensuring the safety and reliability of water systems, which are critical for public health, economic stability, and national security.

The key provisions of the bill include:

1. Establishing a grant program to provide funding for water systems to assess and address threats to their infrastructure, such as cyberattacks, natural disasters, and terrorist attacks. 2. Requiring water systems to develop and implement emergency response plans to mitigate the impact of threats and ensure continuity of service. 3. Enhancing coordination and information sharing among federal, state, and local agencies to improve the overall preparedness and response capabilities of water systems. 4. Promoting research and development of innovative technologies to enhance the resilience of water systems and improve their ability to detect and respond to threats. Overall, the Water System Threat Preparedness and Resilience Act of 2023 seeks to strengthen the nation's water infrastructure and protect the health and safety of all Americans. It emphasizes the importance of proactive planning and investment in order to prevent and mitigate potential threats to water systems.

Congressional Summary of HR 1367

Water System Threat Preparedness and Resilience Act of 2023

This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create a program to support increased membership and involvement of certain smaller water utilities and water treatment works (e.g., wastewater systems) in the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (WaterISAC). As background, WaterISAC is a group of water and wastewater systems and associations that coordinate with the EPA and other federal agencies to collect and analyze data on water security and threats. WaterISAC also provides analysis and resources to support response, mitigation, and resilience initiatives.

Under the bill, the EPA must develop a program to

encourage and support WaterISAC membership by community water systems (e.g., public water systems that regularly serve at least 25 year-round residents) and water treatment works,
offset membership dues for community water systems and water treatment works,
cooperate and coordinate with WaterISAC to expand incident data collection and analysis of threats related to the water sector, and
enhance WaterISAC's tools and resources for monitoring the water sector and increase the preparedness of community water systems and publicly owned water treatment works to identify and respond to malevolent acts or natural hazards.

Read the Full Bill

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Current Status of Bill HR 1367

Bill HR 1367 is currently in the status of Bill Introduced since March 3, 2023. Bill HR 1367 was introduced during Congress 118 and was introduced to the House on March 3, 2023. Bill HR 1367's most recent activity was Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials. as of March 10, 2023