WASHINGTON – The U.S House of Representatives has passed H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The approximately $1.9 trillion dollar package is intended to provide aid and relief to those impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Senate previously passed the bill, and the measure is now headed to the White House. President Biden is expected to sign the bill.
The bill includes wording allowing states and communities to spend key assistance dollars on water and wastewater infrastructure. Of the key provisions are $500 million for the Low-Income Household Drinking Water and Wastewater Emergency Assistance Program and $30 billion in aid for renters and homeowners, some of which may be used to pay utility bills.
The bill also maintains a $350 billion infusion into the Coronavirus Relief Fund, which would be distributed to states and communities to offset COVID response costs and revenue losses. However, senators amended the program to explicitly allow states and communities to also use these dollars to “make necessary investments in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure.”
In an announcement issued by the White House, President Biden said, “This legislation is about giving the backbone of this nation – the essential workers, the working people who built this country, the people who keep this country going – a fighting chance.”
The President is expected to sign the bill into law on Friday.
