PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.

A bill to provide deadlines for corrosion control treatment steps for lead and copper in drinking water, and other purposes.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Feb 10, 2016

This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act by requiring small or medium public water systems to sample their tap water for lead and copper in accordance with the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) monitoring requirements under the national primary drinking water regulations until the system: (1) exceeds the regulation's lead or copper limits, or (2) becomes eligible for reduced monitoring. Small or medium water systems that exceed the lead and copper limits must carry out certain corrosion control treatment steps by specified deadlines.

Public water systems must notify their customers of lead concentration levels in drinking water when the lead levels exceed those regulatory limits or when the EPA determines the lead concentration warrants notice. The EPA must notify the public about those lead concentrations by a certain deadline if the public water system or the state does not do so. The EPA may notify customers of a public water system or the local or state health department of the result of lead monitoring conducted by a public water system.

States must provide a short-term remedy, including bottled water or a water filtration system, to each affected household when a public water system exceeds lead limits or when the EPA determines the lead concentration warrants notice.

Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.

Read full official summaryShow less

Each state must post online the annual consumer confidence report of each community water system.

Read the summary on Congress.gov
PlainBill analysis is coming later. This page presents official source data. We have not yet published a PlainBill explanation for this bill.

Who introduced it

Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH] · D–OH

Committees

  • Environment and Public Works Committee
1 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.

  1. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

  2. Introduced in Senate

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

Explore the bill from different angles

Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.

Neutral evidence review

Objective

Analyze S.2535 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

View full prompt & sources
Fairness and public impact

Progressive lens

Examine S.2535 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

View full prompt & sources
Institutions and government scope

Conservative lens

Examine S.2535 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

View full prompt & sources
Individual rights and government power

Liberty lens

Examine S.2535 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

View full prompt & sources