# Emergency Water is a Human Right Act

This bill aims to keep people's water and electricity from being shut off during the COVID-19 pandemic emergency and to help low-income households pay their water bills. The core idea is straightforward: if you're struggling financially during the crisis, the government wants to make sure you don't lose access to essential services like drinking water and sewage.

The bill has two main parts. First, it requires any organization that receives federal money under this law to keep water and electricity flowing to homes during the emergency period. This means water companies and utility providers can't disconnect your service just because you're behind on payments. However, this doesn't erase what you owe—you'd still be responsible for paying back any unpaid bills once the emergency ends. Second, the bill sets aside $1.5 billion in federal funding to help low-income households actually pay their water and wastewater bills. States and tribal governments would receive grants to distribute this money to families earning up to 150 percent of the federal poverty line (roughly $40,000 for a family of four). The program would use the same application process as existing energy assistance programs to make it easier for people to apply.

The bill makes it easier for people to qualify by accepting recent proof of job loss or reduced income as evidence of financial hardship, rather than requiring extensive income documentation. States can use up to 15 percent of the money for administrative costs, and they're encouraged to work with water companies and local organizations to identify households that need help. The government would track how the money is spent and report back to Congress on whether the program is working.

Emergency Water is a Human Right Act

Tlaib, Rashida

Emergency Water is a Human Right Act This bill creates a grant program, administered by the Department of Health and Human Services, to provide funds to states and Indian tribes to assist low-income households that pay a high proportion of household income for drinking water and wastewater services. Further, any entity receiving financial assistance under this grant program must ensure that no home energy service or public water system service is or remains disconnected or interrupted during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency.