S. 4096 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Mar 12, 2026
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryRural water system grants program revised through 2031
This bill updates a program that helps rural areas get better water and wastewater systems. Right now, the Department of Agriculture gives grants to nonprofit organizations, which then provide subgrants and loans to individuals for private household well systems or wastewater systems in rural communities. The bill changes who qualifies for these subgrants and loans, and adds a new option to include warranty protection for wastewater systems.
How it affects you
If you live in a rural area and need a household water well or wastewater system, these changes make it easier to qualify for financial help. The bill adjusts income limits so more people in rural communities can get subgrants (with income up to 60% of the median for your area), while others earning up to 100% of the median income can get loans instead. It also means any wastewater system grant can now cover a five-year warranty to protect your investment.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Mar 12, 2026)
This bill revises and reauthorizes through FY2031 a program that provides financial assistance for rural water systems under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act.
Under the existing program, the Department of Agriculture may provide grants to nonprofit organizations that in turn must provide subgrants and loans to individuals for household water well systems or individually owned household decentralized wastewater systems in rural areas.
This bill modifies the eligibility requirements for subgrants. To be eligible for a subgrant, an individual must be a member of a household with an annual combined income that is no more than 60% of the median nonmetropolitan household income for the area served by the nonprofit (currently, the state or territory in which the individual resides).
The bill also allows a subgrant for a household decentralized wastewater system to include sufficient additional funding to cover the cost of a performance warranty with a duration of at least five years.
In addition, the bill allows loans to be awarded to an individual who is a member of a household with an annual combined income that is 60% to 100% of the median nonmetropolitan household income for the area.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
2nd SessionS. 4096
A BILL
A bill to amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to modify provisions relating to rural decentralized water systems grants.
Sponsor: Sen. Cory A. Booker (D-NJ) · Introduced Mar 12, 2026 · Water Resources Development · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Mar 12, 2026: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.”