Edward Markey (D-MA)
Water Emergency and Technical Assistance Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Water Emergency and Technical Assistance Act of 2026 seeks to amend existing water laws. It aims to reauthorize emergency technical assistance within the Safe Drinking Water Act. Additionally, it seeks to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize new emergency technical assistance and grants. The bill provides for funding to help respond to emergency situations affecting treatment works. This includes potential assistance for situations resulting from cybersecurity events.
Yes· 3 of 10
- Scored +4
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
The bill increases funding and provides technical assistance to manage water pollution and sewage overflow emergencies.
- Scored +3
Does this better protect the country from computer attacks?
The bill explicitly authorizes assistance for emergency situations resulting from cybersecurity events affecting water treatment works.
- Scored +2
Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster?
The bill provides specialized emergency technical assistance and grants for water-related environmental disasters.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Funding for Drinking Water Emergencies: The bill increases funding for the Safe Drinking Water Act from $35,000,000 to $50,000,000 for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 (Section 101).
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Support for Water Treatment Emergencies: The Administrator can provide technical assistance and grants to States or publicly owned treatment works to help respond to and alleviate emergency situations (Section 201(a)).
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Protection Against Health Dangers: Grants can be used for activities necessary for preventing, limiting, or mitigating danger to public health during an emergency (Section 201(b)(1)).
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Cybersecurity Protection: The assistance can address emergency situations resulting from a cybersecurity event affecting treatment works (Section 201(a)).
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Economic Relief for Ratepayers: The bill specifies that grants may be used for actions that would not be economically feasible for ratepayers to take on their own (Section 101 and Section 201(b)(2)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are explicitly detailed in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The bill increases funding and provides technical assistance to manage water pollution and sewage overflow emergencies. Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster? — The bill provides specialized emergency technical assistance and grants for water-related environmental disasters.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill protects ratepayers from facing unfeasible costs due to water treatment emergencies. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — The bill provides grants for water emergency responses that might otherwise result in higher costs for ratepayers. Would people in cities be better off under this? — The bill addresses public health risks associated with sewer overflows which often impact urban infrastructure.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill helps prevent and mitigate dangers to public health caused by water emergencies. Does this make the country readier for the next outbreak? — The bill enhances the ability to respond to environmental health emergencies that impact water safety.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this better protect the country from computer attacks? — The bill explicitly authorizes assistance for emergency situations resulting from cybersecurity events affecting water treatment works.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to grow the economy? — The bill provides emergency assistance for water treatment works that protects against economic burdens on ratepayers.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — The bill provides grants for water infrastructure issues that would otherwise be economically unfeasible for ratepayers to address alone.
- 7/14/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Elizabeth WarrenDemocrat · Massachusetts