§1302b Small and Medium Publicly Owned Treatment Works Circuit Rider Program

Summary

The Administrator must set up a circuit rider program within 180 days after November 15, 2021, if money is available. The program gives grants to qualified nonprofit groups to help owners and operators of small and medium publicly owned treatment works carry out the activities listed in 33 U.S.C. 1382(b)(13). Each grant can be no more than $75,000. The Administrator should give priority to nonprofits serving communities with long‑standing wastewater or stormwater problems, financially distressed areas, places facing combined overflow burdens, or communities that previously could not get federal help because of cost‑sharing rules. Grant recipients must consult with the State before using the funds. The Administrator must report to Congress two years after the program starts and every two years after that, naming each grant recipient and summarizing what was done. Up to $10,000,000 is authorized for fiscal years 2022 through 2026, and no more than 2 percent of that may pay the Administrator’s administrative costs.