United States 115th Congress Status: Passed Senate Bipartisan · 5 R · 5 D cosponsors

S 692 — Water Infrastructure Flexibility Act

Last action — Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 115th Congress. It reached “Passed Senate” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there are no live odds of enactment. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

Water Infrastructure Flexibility Act (This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the Senate on May 25, 2017. The summary of that version is repeated here.) (Sec. 3) This bill amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to allow municipalities to develop a plan that integrates wastewater and stormwater management. A permit for a municipal discharge under the national pollutant discharge elimination system that incorporates an integrated plan may integrate all requirements under the Act addressed in the plan, including requirements relating to: (1) a combined sewer overflow; (2) a capacity, management, operation, and maintenance program for sanitary sewer collection systems; (3) a municipal stormwater discharge; (4) a municipal wastewater discharge; and (5) a total maximum daily load program. Those permits may include a schedule of compliance that allows actions for meeting water quality-based effluent limitations to be implemented over more than one permit term if the compliance schedules are authorized by state water quality standards. Those actions may include implementing green infrastructure as part of a water quality-based effluent limitation. (Green infrastructure includes measures that mimic natural processes to store, reuse, or reduce stormwater.) The bill establishes an Office of the Municipal Ombudsman in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide: (1) technical assistance to municipalities seeking to comply with the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act, and (2) information to the EPA to ensure that agency policies are implemented by all EPA offices. (Sec. 4) The EPA must ensure that specified EPA offices promote the integration of green infrastructure into permitting programs, planning efforts, research, technical assistance, and funding guidance. (Sec. 5) The bill establishes requirements for revising the EPA's 1997 guidance about combined sewer overflows, including by setting forth criteria for determining the ability of households to pay utility bills. (Combined sewer systems collect rainwater, sewage, and industrial wastewater into one pipe. During storms, the combined wastewater sometimes exceeds the capacity of the treatment plant. When this occurs, combined sewer overflows discharge directly into water bodies.)

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

9 added · 1 removed

Plain-language change summary

The amendment adds a referral of the bill to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. This means that both committees will consider relevant provisions of the bill, which may lead to a more thorough examination of its implications across different areas of concern.

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692 Engrossed in Senate (ES)] <DOC> 115th CONGRESS 1st Session S.
692 Referred in House (RFH)] <DOC> 115th CONGRESS 1st Session S.
692 _______________________________________________________________________ AN ACT To provide for integrated plan permits, to establish an Office of the Municipal Ombudsman, to promote green infrastructure, and to require the revision of financial capability guidance.
692 _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 10, 2017 Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned _______________________________________________________________________ AN ACT To provide for integrated plan permits, to establish an Office of the Municipal Ombudsman, to promote green infrastructure, and to require the revision of financial capability guidance.
Secretary.
JULIE E.
115th CONGRESS 1st Session S.
ADAMS, Secretary.
692 _______________________________________________________________________ AN ACT To provide for integrated plan permits, to establish an Office of the Municipal Ombudsman, to promote green infrastructure, and to require the revision of financial capability guidance.
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Action History

  1. Introduced in Senate

  2. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

  3. Committee on Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 115-12.

  4. Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

  5. Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Barrasso with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 115-87.

  6. Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Barrasso with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 115-87.

  7. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 109.

  8. An errata sheet on written report No. 115-87 was printed.

  9. Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S6373-6374; text: CR S6373-6374)

  10. Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S6373-6374; text: CR S6373-6374)

  11. Message on Senate action sent to the House.

  12. Received in the House.

  13. Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

  14. Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

  15. Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 9 co-sponsors · 537 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (9)

Not signed on (537)

537 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 537 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety environment energy
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does S 692 do?
Water Infrastructure Flexibility Act (This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the Senate on May 25, 2017. The summary of that version is repeated here.) (Sec. 3) This bill amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to allow municipalities to develop a plan that integrates wastewater and stormwater management. A permit for a municipal discharge under the national pollutant discharge elimination system that incorporates an integrated plan may integrate all requirements under the Act addressed in the plan, including requirements relating to: (1) a combined sewer overflow; (2) a capacity, management, operation, and maintenance program for sanitary sewer collection systems; (3) a municipal stormwater discharge; (4) a municipal wastewater discharge; and (5) a total maximum daily load program. Those permits may include a schedule of compliance that allows actions for meeting water quality-based effluent limitations to be implemented over more than one permit term if the compliance schedules are authorized by state water quality standards. Those actions may include implementing green infrastructure as part of a water quality-based effluent limitation. (Green infrastructure includes measures that mimic natural processes to store, reuse, or reduce stormwater.) The bill establishes an Office of the Municipal Ombudsman in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide: (1) technical assistance to municipalities seeking to comply with the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act, and (2) information to the EPA to ensure that agency policies are implemented by all EPA offices. (Sec. 4) The EPA must ensure that specified EPA offices promote the integration of green infrastructure into permitting programs, planning efforts, research, technical assistance, and funding guidance. (Sec. 5) The bill establishes requirements for revising the EPA's 1997 guidance about combined sewer overflows, including by setting forth criteria for determining the ability of households to pay utility bills. (Combined sewer systems collect rainwater, sewage, and industrial wastewater into one pipe. During storms, the combined wastewater sometimes exceeds the capacity of the treatment plant. When this occurs, combined sewer overflows discharge directly into water bodies.)
Who sponsors S 692?
S 692 is sponsored by Brown, Sherrod (Democratic), Cardin, Benjamin L. (Democratic), Boozman, John (Republican), Portman, Rob (Republican), Blunt, Roy (Republican), Booker, Cory A. (Democratic), Inhofe, James M. (Republican), Klobuchar, Amy (Democratic), Donnelly, Joe (Democratic), and Fischer, Deb (Republican).
What is the current status of S 692?
This bill died with 115th Congress. It reached “Passed Senate” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track S 692?
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