What This Bill Does · Plain English
Summary · Congress.gov
Surveilling Effluent Water for Epidemic Response Act or the SEWER Act This bill provides statutory authority for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) program, which detects and monitors pathogens in wastewater. It requires the CDC to expand and intensify the activities of the NWSS, including with respect to SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), influenza, mpox, dengue, West Nile virus, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The NWSS provides funding and guidance to public health departments for wastewater surveillance activities. Under the NWSS, health departments and other partners coordinate on wastewater surveillance at sampling sites and share data with the CDC. The NWSS was initially implemented to monitor SARS-CoV-2 and has since expanded to include influenza A, avian influenza A, mpox, and RSV.
Carveouts & Earmarks · 1 line items · $750M tagged
Specific dollar amounts in this bill that flow to identifiable companies or programs — the actual cash trail.
$750M
Sec. 2(a) (new 2827(b))
"To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $150,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030, to remain available until expended."
→ Secretary of HHS (through CDC) for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible entities
Action Timeline
2025-01-28
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
2025-01-28
Introduced in House
2025-01-28
Introduced in House
Frequently Asked Questions
Did HR.766 pass?
HR.766 is still alive. Current stage: COMMITTEE. Pass likelihood: 23%.
What does HR.766 do?
Surveilling Effluent Water for Epidemic Response Act or the SEWER Act This bill provides statutory authority for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) program, which detects and monitors pathogens in wastewater. It requires the CDC to expand and intensify the activities of the NWSS, including with respect to SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), influenza, mpox, dengue, West Nile virus, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The NWSS provides funding and guidance to public health departments for wastewater surveillance activi…
Who sponsored HR.766?
HR.766 was sponsored by Robert Garcia (D-California).
How much money does HR.766 spend?
HR.766 contains $750M in identified line-item carveouts to specific programs and companies, across 1 earmarks.
Full Bill Text
119 HR 766 IH: Surveilling Effluent Water for Epidemic Response Act U.S. House of Representatives 2025-01-28 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 766 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 28, 2025 Mr. Garcia of California (for himself and Mr. Bacon ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To amend the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary to award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible entities to establish, maintain, or improve activities related to the detection and monitoring of infectious diseases through wastewater for public health emergency preparedness and response purposes, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Surveilling Effluent Water for Epidemic Response Act or the SEWER Act . 2. National Wastewater Surveillance System (a) In general Subtitle C of title XXVIII of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300hh–31 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following: 2827. National Wastewater Surveillance System (a) National wastewater surveillance system The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and in coordination with Federal departments and agencies and relevant State and local departments and agencies, shall expand, intensify, and coordinate the activities of the National Wastewater Surveillance System to detect and monitor pathogens in wastewater, such as SARS–CoV–2, influenza, mpox, dengue, West Nile virus, and respiratory syncytial virus. (b) Authorization of appropriations To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $150,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030, to remain available until expended. . (b) Rule of construction Nothing in the amendment made by subsection (a) shall be construed as requiring a wastewater utility or service provider to comply with a request for wastewater surveillance.
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