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PRINTER'S NO. 346
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
374
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY A. DAVIS, HILL-EVANS, SCHLOSSBERG, SANCHEZ,
PISCIOTTANO, CONKLIN, DEASY, HOHENSTEIN, LEE, GALLOWAY,
CIRESI, SCHWEYER AND McCLINTON, FEBRUARY 3, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FEBRUARY 3, 2021
AN ACT
Providing for water hardship funds and for powers and duties of
the Public Utility Commission and the Auditor General.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Water
Hardship Fund Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Commission." The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
"Community sewage system." As defined in section 2 of the
act of January 24, 1966 (1965 P.L.1535, No.537), known as the
Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act.
"Fund." A water hardship fund established under section
3(a).
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"Household." An individual or group of individuals who are
living together as one economic unit and whose water or
wastewater services are customarily purchased in common or who
make undesignated payments for water or wastewater services as
part of a rental payment. A boarder who is related to a member
of the applicant household is considered to be a member of the
household.
"Supplier of water." As defined in section 3 of the act of
May 1, 1984 (P.L.206, No.43), known as the Pennsylvania Safe
Drinking Water Act.
"Water or wastewater service." The provision of water
service by a water supplier or the provision of wastewater
service by an owner or operator of a community sewage system.
Section 3. Water hardship funds.
(a) General rule.--A supplier of water or a community sewage
system shall establish a water hardship fund to which
residential customers may donate a minimum of one dollar and a
maximum of $500 per residential customer per year.
(b) Use.--Money in a fund shall be used by the supplier of
water or community sewage system to pay delinquent residential
water or wastewater service bills of customers within the
supplier of water or community sewage system's network.
(c) Nondiscrimination.--Suppliers of water and community
sewage systems may not discriminate against a customer and shall
fairly distribute money from a fund to qualified applicants.
Section 4. Applications.
(a) Eligibility.--A household may apply for benefits from a
fund. The household must meet the following eligibility
requirements:
(1) The household members must have an annual income at
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or below 100% of the Federal poverty guidelines.
(2) The household must receive one of the following:
(i) A water bill from a supplier of water.
(ii) A wastewater bill from a community sewage
system.
(iii) A bill that is a combination of subparagraphs
(i) and (ii).
(3) The household must have a delinquent bill for water
or wastewater services.
(b) Statement.--A supplier of water or community sewage
system shall provide an accepted applicant a statement
confirming payment made towards the household's water or
wastewater bill from a fund.
Section 5. Reporting requirements.
Beginning one year after the effective date of this act, a
supplier of water or community sewage system shall submit an
annual report to the commission on the receipts and
disbursements from its fund. The commission shall post the
reports on its publicly accessible Internet website.
Section 6. Powers and duties of Auditor General.
(a) Performance audit.--The Auditor General shall conduct
and complete a performance audit of each fund within five years
of the effective date of this section. The Auditor General shall
then conduct performance audits at intervals of not greater than
five years from the date of completing the immediately preceding
performance audit. The suppliers of water, community sewage
systems and the commission shall make available for the
inspection of the Auditor General all records, documents and
other information that reasonably relate to the conduct of the
performance audit prescribed. The audit shall make detailed
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recommendations to the Governor, the General Assembly and the
commission on changes, if any, in the funds that will further
the purposes of this act.
(b) Distribution of performance audits.--A copy of each
performance audit shall be transmitted to all of the following:
(1) The Governor.
(2) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
Appropriations Committee of the Senate and the chairperson
and minority chairperson of the Appropriations Committee of
the House of Representatives.
(3) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
Health and Human Services Committee of the Senate and the
chairperson and minority chairperson of the Human Services
Committee of the House of Representatives.
(4) The Attorney General.
(5) The Office of Inspector General.
(6) The commission.
(c) Fraud reporting.--The Auditor General shall transmit
information uncovered during the conduct of the performance
audit relating to fraud to the Attorney General, the Office of
State Inspector General and the commission.
Section 7. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 90 days.
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