Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) joined Senator Jon Husted (R-Ohio) in introducing the Water Resources Technical Assistance Act of 2025, which would help rural communities navigate water funding resource programs available through the EPA.
The bill would require the U.S. Government Accountability Office to do a study on the EPA’s Water Technical Assistance programs. These programs provide technical expertise to communities across the United States for projects such as identifying lead pipes, workforce development and resilience against cybersecurity threats.
Rep. Dave Taylor (R-Ohio) introduced the companion version of the Water Resources Technical Assistance Act of 2025 in the House of Representatives.
“Rural and underserved communities rely on EPA’s water programs to build safe drinking and wastewater systems that are resilient to all kinds of challenges — from climate-fueled natural disasters to cybersecurity attacks. This legislation will help rural and underserved communities connect with the federal expertise and financial resources they need to ensure access to safe and affordable water,” said Senator Schiff.
“Ohio’s rural communities depend on the EPA’s Water Technical Assistance programs to access funding they need to update and sustain safe and reliable water projects. This bill would deliver better information to local leaders and eliminate barriers that slow the process down. I applaud Representative Taylor’s work on this issue in the House of Representatives, and I’m proud to lead the Senate version,” said Senator Husted.
“Rural Ohio communities have been left on the outside looking in when it comes to accessing federal funds, including the resources and technical expertise needed for critical water and wastewater projects. I am proud to have Senator Husted join me in leading the charge to reform a Biden-era program to finally enable rural communities to access the water assistance they should have been receiving all along,” said Representative Taylor.
The Water Resources Technical Assistance Act of 2025 passed the House of Representatives on Sept. 15, 2025.
Full text of the bill is available here.
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