Sponsors
The bill increases access to threat-monitoring, improves detection/response, and bolsters preparedness for water systems—especially small and rural utilities—at a modest federal cost and with risks of implementation strain and potential dependence on ongoing federal funding.
Small and rural community water systems and publicly owned treatment works will have membership costs offset, increasing their ability to join Water ISAC and access threat-monitoring resources that they previously could not afford.
Improved EPA–Water ISAC data sharing and coordination will enable faster detection and response to contamination events or attacks, protecting public health in urban and rural communities.
Federal funding to enhance Water ISAC tools and preparedness resources will strengthen community-level resilience to natural hazards and intentional threats, improving national and local preparedness.
Offsetting membership costs could create reliance on federal funding for ongoing Water ISAC subscriptions if long-term funding isn't secured, leaving utilities and local governments dependent on future appropriations.
If implemented, EPA must stand up and manage the program within one year, which could strain agency staff, divert resources, and delay other EPA priorities.
The bill authorizes $20 million in federal spending, a modest increase in outlays that may raise concerns about budget priorities or require offsets elsewhere.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires EPA to set up a program within 1 year to support water-sector participation in the Water ISAC, offset membership costs, expand data sharing, and authorizes $10M each for FY2026 and FY2027.
Introduced March 25, 2025 by Edward John Markey · Last progress March 25, 2025
Requires the EPA to create and run a program, within one year of enactment, that helps community water systems, treatment works, and related entities join and use the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Water ISAC). The program must offset membership costs, expand EPA cooperation with the Water ISAC on incident data collection and threat analysis, and improve tools and resources for detecting, responding to, and recovering from deliberate attacks and natural hazards; $10 million is authorized for each of fiscal years 2026 and 2027.