HR4377-119

What This Bill Does

The Tribal Access to Clean Water Act addresses lack of clean drinking water, indoor plumbing, and sanitation on Tribal lands and in the Native Hawaiian Community. It expands USDA Rural Development water and waste loans and grants to include Native Hawaiian organizations, including the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, and allows loans and grants when funds will primarily provide water or waste services to Tribal land residents. USDA may make loans, grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts for technical assistance; the bill authorizes $100 million per year from fiscal years 2026 through 2030 for water development, supply-system extension or improvement, and related eligible purposes, plus $30 million per year for technical assistance. It waives matching contributions and inability-to-finance tests for covered USDA funds and requires USDA consultation with the Indian Health Service. For IHS, the bill treats essential noncommercial Tribal community structures such as schools, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, Tribal employee homes, Tribal offices, and post offices as covered Indian homes, communities, and lands for sanitation facility work. It authorizes $500 million per year from fiscal years 2026 through 2030 for IHS sanitation facilities, $30 million per year for Tribal technical-assistance contracts, and $100 million per year for operation and maintenance of Tribally owned drinking water and sanitation facilities. It also authorizes $18 million per year through 2030 for the Bureau of Reclamation Native American Affairs Technical Assistance Program.

Who Benefits and How

Indian Tribes benefit from expanded USDA, IHS, and Bureau of Reclamation support for drinking water and sanitation infrastructure. Native Hawaiian organizations benefit because USDA Rural Development water and waste assistance expressly includes them and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Tribal land residents benefit from funds aimed at reliable clean water, sanitation, water supply extensions, and facility operation and maintenance. Tribal schools, clinics, hospitals, offices, and other essential community structures benefit from IHS sanitation-facility eligibility.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Secretary of Agriculture must administer new annual USDA funding, technical assistance, waivers, and IHS consultation. The Indian Health Service must administer expanded sanitation facilities, technical-assistance contracts, and operation-and-maintenance funding. The Bureau of Reclamation must manage additional Native American Affairs technical-assistance funding. Federal taxpayers fund annual authorizations of $100 million, $30 million, $500 million, $30 million, $100 million, and $18 million from fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

Key Provisions

• Expands USDA water and waste assistance to Native Hawaiian organizations and Tribal land residents.
• Authorizes $100 million annually for USDA water development and $30 million annually for technical assistance from fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
• Authorizes IHS sanitation facilities, Tribal technical-assistance contracts, and operation-and-maintenance support totaling $630 million annually through 2030.
• Authorizes $18 million annually through 2030 for the Bureau of Reclamation Native American Affairs Technical Assistance Program.