The House approved the measure, introduced by Rep. Joe Baca, D-Calif., as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. The House passed the funding measure, with the amendment, on May 11.

"The passage of my amendment will allow us to get a full understanding of the scope of perchlorate contamination and therefore increase support for additional funding for cleaning up affected water sources and hold polluters accountable," Baca said.

Perchlorate -- primarily a component of rocket fuel, military munitions and fireworks -- is a volatile organic compound that interferes with thyroid function and can be especially harmful for children. With sufficient exposure, it can lead to developmental difficulties.

Groundwater wells across the country are experiencing contamination problems and many have been forced to close. In California, 319 wells are impacted, Baca said.

Baca also proposed another amendment to the defense authorization legislation to fund grants for local communities involved in perchlorate cleanup, but that amendment failed to pass.

"I will continue working on federal funding for perchlorate cleanup," Baca said. "Most of the contamination resulted from the federal government, so local communities should not get stuck paying the bills."

The U.S. Environmental Protection has yet to establish a drinking water standard for perchlorate contamination.