Bill · S. 5577· Senate(119-S-5577)
A bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide grants to upgrade or convert small-capacity cesspools for households in the State of Hawaii.
- Introduced
- 9/29/2026
- Last activity
- 9/29/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- Sponsored by
- Mazie Hirono
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide grants for upgrading or converting small-capacity cesspools for households in Hawaii. Under the bill, the Administrator may make grants to the State of Hawaii or a responsible management entity to help eligible individuals pay for these wastewater system updates. The Federal share of the cost for these activities is set at 75 percent. The bill prioritizes projects that address cesspools posing the greatest risk to human and environmental health. It authorizes appropriations of $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2028 through 2032 to carry out these activities.
Yes· 3 of 10
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?+7
The legislation provides grants to convert small-capacity cesspools to safer wastewater systems, prioritizing those posing the greatest risk to local ecosystems.
Does this invest in rural communities?+5
The bill funds decentralized wastewater systems and community-scale conversions that benefit infrastructure in Hawaii.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+5
The bill defines eligible individuals based on state affordability criteria, helping lower-income households cover expensive wastewater conversion costs.
The opposite
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?-2
The bill authorizes appropriations of $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2028 through 2032 to carry out grant activities.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Financial help for upgrading wastewater systems: Section 228(b)(1) allows grants to be used for converting small-capacity cesspools to septic tanks, connecting residences to treatment works, and converting communities to decentralized wastewater systems, which helps eligible individuals cover the costs of these necessary upgrades.
-
Health and environmental protection: Section 228(d) mandates that priority be given to projects addressing cesspools that pose the greatest risk to human and environmental health, which helps protect people and local ecosystems from dangerous waste.
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Support programs: Section 228(b)(2) authorizes grants for workforce development, technical assistance, and educational and advocacy programs related to wastewater management, which can benefit communities by building local expertise and knowledge.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Cost-sharing burden: Section 228(c) sets the Federal share at 75 percent, meaning that eligible individuals or the State must still cover the remaining portion of the upgrade costs out of pocket.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Environmental Protections+7Improves Rural Development+5
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Low Income Households+5Good For Middle Class Households+3
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Small Business Support+2Increases Job Creation+2Improves Economic Growth+1Reduces Government Spending-2
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+2
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+2
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+1
- 9/30/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/29/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- Introduced in Senate
Brian SchatzDemocrat · Hawaii