THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL

INTRODUCED BY WOZNIAK, WASHINGTON, EARLL, COSTA, FONTANA, EICHELBERGER, BROWNE AND ALLOWAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2011

REFERRED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 28, 2011  

AN ACT

Amending Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes, further providing for purposes and

powers of authorities.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Section 5607(d)(10) and (11) of Title 53 of the

Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:

§ 5607.  Purposes and powers.

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(d)  Powers.--Every authority may exercise all powers

necessary or convenient for the carrying out of the purposes set

forth in this section, including, but without limiting the

generality of the foregoing, the following rights and powers:

* * *

(10)  In the case of an authority which has agreed to

provide water service through a separate meter and separate

service line to a residential dwelling unit in which the

owner does not reside, to impose and enforce the [owner's]

duty of the tenant to pay a [tenant's] bill for service

rendered to the tenant by the authority. [only if the] The 

authority [notifies) shall notify the owner and the tenant

within 30 days after the bill first becomes overdue.

Notification shall be provided by first class mail to the

address of the owner provided to the authority by the owner

and to the billing address of the tenant, respectively.

Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to require an

authority to terminate service to a tenant, and the owner

shall not be liable for any service which the authority

provides to the tenant. [90 or more days after the tenant's

bill first becomes due unless the authority has been

prevented by court order from terminating service to that

tenant.]

(11)  In the case of an authority which has agreed to

provide sewer service to a residential dwelling unit in which

the owner does not reside, to impose and enforce the

[owner's] tenant's duty to pay a [tenant's] bill for service

rendered by the authority to the tenant. The authority shall

notify the owner and the tenant within 30 days after the

tenant's bill for that service first becomes overdue.

Notification shall be provided by first class mail to the

address of the owner provided to the authority by the owner

and to the billing address of the tenant, respectively.

Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to [relieve the

owner of liability for such service unless the authority

fails to provide the notice required in this paragraph]

impose responsibility and liability on the owner of the

property where the tenant has contracted for service.

* * *

Section 2.  This act shall take effect immediately.