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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4812 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4812
To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to
modify regulations with respect to drinking water State revolving
funds, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 17, 2026
Mr. Padilla (for himself, Mr. Curtis, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Crapo, Mr.
Kelly, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Schiff, and Mr. Sheehy) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Environment and Public Works
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to
modify regulations with respect to drinking water State revolving
funds, 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 ``Firefighting Infrastructure for
Rural and Exurban Smaller Municipalities Augmenting Residential Fuels
Treatments Act of 2026'' or the ``FIRE SMART Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. REQUIRED REGULATORY REVISIONS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
(referred to in this section as the ``Administrator'') shall--
(1) revise section 35.3505 of title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, to ensure that--
(A) the term ``community at high risk from fire or
wildfire'' is defined to mean a community located in an
area with a high risk for fire or wildfire, in the
built or natural environment, as evidenced by a State
wildfire map or a geospatial map generated pursuant to
section 210(a) of the Wildfire Suppression Funding and
Forest Management Activities Act (16 U.S.C. 6501 note;
division O of Public Law 115-141);
(B) the terms ``rural'' and ``rural area'' have the
meaning given those terms in subparagraph (A) of
section 343(a)(13) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)), subject to
subparagraphs (H) and (I) of that section; and
(C) the term ``water infrastructure for fire
suppression'' means improvements to a public water
system for purposes that will facilitate compliance
with section 1412 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42
U.S.C. 300g-1) or otherwise further the public health
protection objectives of that Act (42 U.S.C. 300f et
seq.) and that aid in fire suppression for the
protection of public health, safety, and property from
wildfire;
(2) revise section 35.3520 of that title--
(A) in subsection (b)(2)--
(i) in clause (ii) (relating to
transmission and distribution), to insert ``and
enhancement of water system delivery and
distribution capacity in a rural area to aid in
fire suppression in communities at high risk
from fire or wildfire'' before the period at
the end;
(ii) in clause (iv) (relating to storage),
to insert ``and enhancement of water
infrastructure for fire suppression in a rural
area in communities at high risk from fire or
wildfire'' before the period at the end; and
(iii) in clause (v) (relating to
consolidation), to insert ``or where necessary
for enhancing water infrastructure for fire
suppression in a rural area in communities at
high risk from fire or wildfire'' before the
period at the end; and
(B) in subsection (e)(4), to insert ``, except for
projects specifically identified in paragraphs
(b)(2)(ii), (b)(2)(iv), and (b)(2)(v) of this section
that have both drinking water benefits and fire
suppression benefits, for which priority shall be given
to projects in communities that have adopted a
community wildfire protection plan (as defined in
section 101(a) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act
of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6511(a))) or have taken proactive
measures to encourage property owners to reduce fire
risk on private property'' before the period at the
end;
(3) revise section 35.3555(c)(1) of that title to add at
the end the following: ``In addition, the priority system may
include projects that improve both infrastructure for drinking
water and water infrastructure for fire suppression in rural
areas in communities at high risk from fire or wildfire.''; and
(4) make such purely technical and conforming revisions to
the regulations of the Administrator as are necessary to
implement the revisions described in paragraphs (1) through
(3).
(b) Immediate Effect.--Notwithstanding the period for revision
required under subsection (a), beginning on the date of enactment of
this Act, the Administrator shall implement sections 35.3505, 35.3520,
and 35.3555 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, in accordance
with the revisions required under that subsection.
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