Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110
§300j–9 General Provisions
Title 42 › CHAPTER 6A — PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › SUBCHAPTER XII — SAFETY OF PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS › Part E — General Provisions › § 300j–9
Summary
The Administrator must write rules needed to carry out the program and can give most of his duties to other Agency officers or employees (but not the rule‑writing). With another agency head’s OK, the Administrator can use staff from other federal agencies. If a State or interstate agency asks, he can send Agency staff to help. The Administrator can make grant payments in advance or as reimbursement, in installments, and on conditions he sets. Grants can only go to individuals or nonprofit agencies or institutions (meaning no private shareholders can get the profits). The Administrator must make sure certain federal labor standards in title 40 are followed, and the Secretary of Labor has the authority given by Reorganization Plan Numbered 14 of 1950 and section 3145 of title 40 to enforce those standards. The Administrator should ask the Attorney General to represent him in civil cases; if the Attorney General will not do so in a reasonable time, the Administrator’s own lawyers may represent him. His other existing authorities under part G of subchapter II are not affected. Each year by April 1 the Administrator must send a report to the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee about Agency activities and any needed laws. The report due not later than April 1, 1975, and every report after must include the actual and expected cost to public water systems in each State of meeting these rules. The Office of Management and Budget may review the report before it goes to Congress but may not change it or delay its submission; OMB may send comments. Employers may not fire or punish employees for starting, testifying in, or helping proceedings about these rules. An employee must file a complaint with the Secretary of Labor within 30 days. The Secretary must investigate within 30 days and must issue an order within 90 days (unless a settlement ends the case). Remedies can include stopping the violation, reinstatement with back pay, compensatory and exemplary damages, and payment of costs and attorneys’ fees. A person can seek court review in the U.S. Court of Appeals within 60 days. If someone ignores a Secretary’s order, the Secretary can sue in federal district court to enforce it. A nondiscretionary duty here can be enforced by mandamus under 28 U.S.C. 1361. The whistleblower protection does not cover an employee who, acting on his own and without employer direction, deliberately causes a violation.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §300j–9
The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Regulations; delegation of functions
(1)The Administrator is authorized to prescribe such regulations as are necessary or appropriate to carry out his functions under this subchapter.
(2)The Administrator may delegate any of his functions under this subchapter (other than prescribing regulations) to any officer or employee of the Agency.
(b)Utilization of officers and employees of Federal agencies
The Administrator, with the consent of the head of any other agency of the United States, may utilize such officers and employees of such agency as he deems necessary to assist him in carrying out the purposes of this subchapter.
(c)Assignment of Agency personnel to State or interstate agencies
Upon the request of a State or interstate agency, the Administrator may assign personnel of the Agency to such State or interstate agency for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of this subchapter.
(d)Payments of grants; adjustments; advances; reimbursement; installments; conditions; eligibility for grants; “nonprofit agency or institution” defined
(1)The Administrator may make payments of grants under this subchapter (after necessary adjustment on account of previously made underpayments or overpayments) in advance or by way of reimbursement, and in such installments and on such conditions as he may determine.
(2)Financial assistance may be made available in the form of grants only to individuals and nonprofit agencies or institutions. For purposes of this paragraph, the term “nonprofit agency or institution” means an agency or institution no part of the net earnings of which inure, or may lawfully inure, to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.
(e)Labor standards
The Administrator shall take such action as may be necessary to assure compliance with provisions of section 3141–3144, 3146, and 3147 of title 40. The Secretary of Labor shall have, with respect to the labor standards specified in this subsection, the authority and functions set forth in Reorganization Plan Numbered 14 of 1950 (15 F.R. 3176; 64 Stat. 1267) and section 3145 of title 40.
(f)Appearance and representation of Administrator through Attorney General or attorney appointees
The Administrator shall request the Attorney General to appear and represent him in any civil action instituted under this subchapter to which the Administrator is a party. Unless, within a reasonable time, the Attorney General notifies the Administrator that he will appear in such action, attorneys appointed by the Administrator shall appear and represent him.
(g)Authority of Administrator under other provisions unaffected
The provisions of this subchapter shall not be construed as affecting any authority of the Administrator under part G of subchapter II of this chapter.
(h)Reports to Congressional committees; review by Office of Management and Budget: submittal of comments to Congressional committees
Not later than April 1 of each year, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report respecting the activities of the Agency under this subchapter and containing such recommendations for legislation as he considers necessary. The report of the Administrator under this subsection which is due not later than April 1, 1975, and each subsequent report of the Administrator under this subsection shall include a statement on the actual and anticipated cost to public water systems in each State of compliance with the requirements of this subchapter. The Office of Management and Budget may review any report required by this subsection before its submission to such committees of Congress, but the Office may not revise any such report, require any revision in any such report, or delay its submission beyond the day prescribed for its submission, and may submit to such committees of Congress its comments respecting any such report.
(i)Discrimination prohibition; filing of complaint; investigation; orders of Secretary; notice and hearing; settlements; attorneys’ fees; judicial review; filing of petition; procedural requirements; stay of orders; exclusiveness of remedy; civil actions for enforcement of orders; appropriate relief; mandamus proceedings; prohibition inapplicable to undirected but deliberate violations
(1)No employer may discharge any employee or otherwise discriminate against any employee with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because the employee (or any person acting pursuant to a request of the employee) has—
(A)commenced, caused to be commenced, or is about to commence or cause to be commenced a proceeding under this subchapter or a proceeding for the administration or enforcement of drinking water regulations or underground injection control programs of a State,
(B)testified or is about to testify in any such proceeding, or
(C)assisted or participated or is about to assist or participate in any manner in such a proceeding or in any other action to carry out the purposes of this subchapter.
(2)(A)Any employee who believes that he has been discharged or otherwise discriminated against by any person in violation of paragraph (1) may, within 30 days after such violation occurs, file (or have any person file on his behalf) a complaint with the Secretary of Labor (hereinafter in this subsection referred to as the “Secretary”) alleging such discharge or discrimination. Upon receipt of such a complaint, the Secretary shall notify the person named in the complaint of the filing of the complaint.
(B)(i)Upon receipt of a complaint filed under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall conduct an investigation of the violation alleged in the complaint. Within 30 days of the receipt of such complaint, the Secretary shall complete such investigation and shall notify in writing the complainant (and any person acting in his behalf) and the person alleged to have committed such violation of the results of the investigation conducted pursuant to this subparagraph. Within 90 days of the receipt of such complaint the Secretary shall, unless the proceeding on the complaint is terminated by the Secretary on the basis of a settlement entered into by the Secretary and the person alleged to have committed such violation, issue an order either providing the relief prescribed by clause (ii) or denying the complaint. An order of the Secretary shall be made on the record after notice and opportunity for agency hearing. The Secretary may not enter into a settlement terminating a proceeding on a complaint without the participation and consent of the complainant.
(ii)If in response to a complaint filed under subparagraph (A) the Secretary determines that a violation of paragraph (1) has occurred, the Secretary shall order (I) the person who committed such violation to take affirmative action to abate the violation, (II) such person to reinstate the complainant to his former position together with the compensation (including back pay), terms, conditions, and privileges of his employment, (III) compensatory damages, and (IV) where appropriate, exemplary damages. If such an order is issued, the Secretary, at the request of the complainant, shall assess against the person against whom the order is issued a sum equal to the aggregate amount of all costs and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) reasonably incurred, as determined by the Secretary, by the complainant for, or in connection with, the bringing of the complaint upon which the order was issued.
(3)(A)Any person adversely affected or aggrieved by an order issued under paragraph (2) may obtain review of the order in the United States Court of Appeals for the circuit in which the violation, with respect to which the order was issued, allegedly occurred. The petition for review must be filed within sixty days from the issuance of the Secretary’s order. Review shall conform to chapter 7 of title 5. The commencement of proceedings under this subparagraph shall not, unless ordered by the court, operate as a stay of the Secretary’s order.
(B)An order of the Secretary with respect to which review could have been obtained under subparagraph (A) shall not be subject to judicial review in any criminal or other civil proceeding.
(4)Whenever a person has failed to comply with an order issued under paragraph (2)(B), the Secretary shall file a civil action in the United States District Court for the district in which the violation was found to occur to enforce such order. In actions brought under this paragraph, the district courts shall have jurisdiction to grant all appropriate relief including, but not limited to, injunctive relief, compensatory, and exemplary damages.
(5)Any nondiscretionary duty imposed by this section is enforceable in mandamus proceeding brought under section 1361 of title 28.
(6)Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect to any employee who, acting without direction from his employer (or the employer’s agent), deliberately causes a violation of any requirement of this subchapter.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
Reorganization Plan Numbered 14 of 1950 (15 F.R. 3176; 64 Stat. 1267), referred to in subsec. (e), is set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Part G of subchapter II of this chapter, referred to in subsec. (g), is classified to section 264 et seq. of this title. Codification In subsec. (e), “section 3141–3144, 3146, and 3147 of title 40” substituted for “the Act of
March 3, 1931 (known as the Davis-Bacon Act; 40 U.S.C. 276a—276a(5))” and “section 3145 of title 40” substituted for “section 2 of the Act of
June 13, 1934 (40 U.S.C. 276c)” on authority of Pub. L. 107–217, § 5(c), Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1303, the first section of which enacted Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works.
Amendments
1994—Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 103–437 substituted “Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House” for “Committee on Commerce of the Senate and the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce of the House”. 1984—Subsec. (i)(4). Pub. L. 98–620 struck out provision which required civil actions filed under par. (4) to be heard and decided expeditiously.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Change of Name
Committee on Energy and Commerce of House of Representatives treated as referring to Committee on Commerce of House of Representatives by section 1(a) of Pub. L. 104–14, set out as a note preceding section 21 of Title 2, The Congress. Committee on Commerce of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Energy and Commerce of House of Representatives, and jurisdiction over matters relating to securities and exchanges and insurance generally transferred to Committee on Financial Services of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Seventh Congress, Jan. 3, 2001.
Effective Date
of 1984 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 98–620 not applicable to cases pending on Nov. 8, 1984, see section 403 of Pub. L. 98–620, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 1657 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure. Applicability of Labor Standards to Drinking Water Treatment
Construction
Projects Pub. L. 112–74, div. E, title II, Dec. 23, 2011, 125 Stat. 1020, provided in part: “For fiscal year 2012 and each fiscal year thereafter, the requirements of section 1450(e) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–9(e)) shall apply to any
Construction
project carried out in whole or in part with assistance made available by a drinking water treatment revolving loan fund as authorized by section 1452 of that Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–12).”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 300j–9
Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110