SenateS. 5577119th Congress
A bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide grants to upgrade or convert small-capacity cesspools for households in the State of Hawaii.
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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5577 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 5577
To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide grants to
upgrade or convert small-capacity cesspools for households in the State
of Hawaii.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 29, 2026
Ms. Hirono introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide grants to
upgrade or convert small-capacity cesspools for households in the State
of Hawaii.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. GRANTS TO UPGRADE OR CONVERT SMALL-CAPACITY CESSPOOLS IN
HAWAII.
Title II of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1281
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 228. GRANTS TO UPGRADE OR CONVERT SMALL-CAPACITY CESSPOOLS IN
HAWAII.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Eligible individual.--The term `eligible individual'
means a member of a household located in a municipality
identified pursuant to the affordability criteria of the
applicable State established under section 603(i)(2).
``(2) Responsible management entity.--The term `responsible
management entity' means an organization consisting of diverse
stakeholders with technical, managerial, and financial capacity
to operate and maintain viable decentralized wastewater systems
within the jurisdiction of the organization.
``(3) Small-capacity cesspool.--The term `small-capacity
cesspool' means an underground sanitary waste system that--
``(A) is connected to 1 single-family residence and
serves no other structures; and
``(B) receives only residential sanitary waste.
``(b) Grants Authorized.--The Administrator may make grants to the
State of Hawaii or a responsible management entity with jurisdiction
over an area located in the State of Hawaii for the benefit of eligible
individuals to pay the Federal share of the cost of--
``(1) subject to subsection (d)--
``(A) the conversion of a small-capacity cesspool
to an individual wastewater system, such as a septic
tank;
``(B) the connection of a single-family residence
with a small-capacity cesspool to a treatment works;
and
``(C) the conversion of a community of single-
family residences that each has a small-capacity
cesspool to a community-scale, cluster, or
decentralized wastewater system; and
``(2) workforce development, technical assistance, and
educational and advocacy programs relating to wastewater
management.
``(c) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the cost of activities
carried out using a grant under subsection (b) shall be 75 percent.
``(d) Prioritization.--In making grants under subsection (b)(1),
the Administrator shall, in consultation with the State of Hawaii, give
priority to projects that address small-capacity cesspools that pose
the greatest risk to human and environmental health.
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
``(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated
to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years
2028 through 2032.
``(2) Administrative expenses.--Of the amounts made
available under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the
Administrator may use not more than 2 percent for the
administrative expenses of carrying out this section.''.
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