Bill · H.R. 8614· House(119-HR-8614)
Safe Water in Schools Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 4/30/2026
- Last activity
- 4/30/2026 — Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Sponsored by
- John James
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, titled the "Safe Water in Schools Act of 2026," aims to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act. It specifically focuses on addressing lead contamination in school drinking water. The legislation directs the Administrator to provide grants to local educational agencies for point-of-use filtration systems. These systems can be used as a preventative measure or for remediation purposes. Finally, the bill updates the authorization of appropriations for these programs through fiscal year 2030.
Yes· 3 of 6
Would children be better off under this?+7
The bill provides preventative and remedial filtration to protect children's health.
Does this put more money into public schools?+5
The bill authorizes millions of dollars in grants specifically for local educational agencies to improve water safety.
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?+5
The bill enhances environmental safety by addressing lead contamination in school drinking water.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Provision of filtration systems: The bill allows for grants to local educational agencies to provide certified point-of-use filtration systems at schools and child care programs (Section 2(a)). This is positive because it acts as a preventative measure to reduce exposure to lead before testing occurs and can be used for remediation of existing lead contamination (Section 2(a)(i)-(ii)).
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Increased funding levels: The bill provides a specific schedule of increased appropriations for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 (Section 2(b)). This provides dedicated funding of $60,000,000 in 2026 up to $72,000,000 in 2030 to support these water safety efforts (Section 2(b)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Children+7Good For Low Income Households+3
- Education And Technology
- Increases Public School Funding+5
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Environmental Protections+5
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+4
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Childcare Affordability+2
- 4/30/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Introduced in House