This bill requires that federal funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act designated for replacing lead service lines must be given to disadvantaged communities as forgivable loans or grants rather than traditional loans. Lead service lines are pipes that carry drinking water and can contaminate water with toxic lead, particularly affecting low-income neighborhoods and communities of color that often have older infrastructure. The legislation targets funds that were originally allocated through the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds program, which normally operates as a loan system where communities must repay borrowed money. By making these funds forgivable (meaning communities don't have to repay them), the bill aims to remove financial barriers that prevent disadvantaged communities from upgrading their water infrastructure. The bill does not specify new funding amounts but rather changes how existing Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act money is distributed to ensure equitable access for the communities most burdened by lead contamination.
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