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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 10, 2016 04:15 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Marc J. Gergely |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Pennsylvania Low-Income Water and Wastewater Assistance Act |
| I will soon be introducing legislation as a companion to efforts in the Senate to establish the Pennsylvania Low-Income Water and Wastewater Assistance Act. Water and sewer rates in the Commonwealth have more than doubled in the past ten years. Due to a combination of crumbling infrastructure, environmental regulations, and little government funding, water and sewer authorities increase their consumer prices to cover maintenance and improvements. These price increases hurt everyone but the impact is especially severe on those that fall below the poverty line and are on a fixed income. This new program would operate similarly to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to provide help with water bills to families in need. Like LIHEAP, the program would be income based and require the submittal of an application to the Department of Human Services. While individual grant payments would provide a minimum of $100 and a maximum of $500, the legislation would allow DHS to develop and structure payments concurrently with annual LIHEAP rules. The fund would be created in the State Treasury and DHS would be responsible for sending assistance payments or supplemental assistance payments directly to the supplier of water or the owner or operator of a community sewage system. Within six months of this program, DHS would provide the General Assembly with an annual report detailing all expenditures and providing recommendations. Furthermore, within five years, the Auditor General would conduct an audit addressing the adequacy of performance. I hope you will join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation. |
Introduced as HB2079