Recognizing access to water, sanitation, electricity, heating, cooling, broadband communications, and public transportation as basic human rights and public services that must be accessible, safe, justly sourced and sustainable, acceptable, sufficient, affordable, climate resilient, and reliable for every person.
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Committee
Latest Action · September 19, 2024
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, and Transportation and Infrastructure, 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.
H.Res. 1478 is a resolution declaring that access to water, sanitation, electricity, heating, cooling, broadband, and public transportation are basic human rights that must be affordable and reliable for everyone. The resolution addresses all Americans, particularly low-income households and communities of color, who face disconnections, unaffordable bills, and inadequate infrastructure. While the resolution itself does not authorize spending or establish timelines, it calls for Congress to commit to several actions including banning utility shutoffs and collection practices, ending water privatization, expanding public utility ownership, providing direct federal grants for infrastructure improvements, and establishing an interagency task force to develop an implementation plan. The resolution emphasizes the need for climate-resilient infrastructure, union jobs, and community involvement in utility decision-making, while specifically targeting what it characterizes as predatory practices by for-profit utility companies. This is a symbolic measure expressing congressional intent rather than legislation with direct legal force or allocated funding.
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