Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

PRINTER'S NO.    970
                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 921
                                                Session of
                                                  2025
     INTRODUCED BY DAVIDSON, HILL-EVANS, WAXMAN, McNEILL, GIRAL,
        MADSEN, PIELLI, POWELL, BOYD, KENYATTA, SANCHEZ, BURGOS,
        KAZEEM, MADDEN, MALAGARI, RIVERA, DONAHUE, KINKEAD, CIRESI,
        DEASY, CERRATO, FLEMING, GUZMAN AND O'MARA, MARCH 17, 2025
     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER PROTECTION, TECHNOLOGY AND
        UTILITIES, MARCH 17, 2025
                                     AN ACT
 Amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), entitled "An
    act to consolidate, editorially revise, and codify the public
    welfare laws of the Commonwealth," in general powers and
    duties of the Department of Public Welfare, providing for
    Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program; and making an
    editorial change.
    The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 hereby enacts as follows:
    Section 1.     Article II heading of the act of June 13, 1967
 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Human Services Code, is amended to
 read:
                               ARTICLE II
                       GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES
         OF THE DEPARTMENT OF [PUBLIC WELFARE] HUMAN SERVICES
    Section 2.     The act is amended by adding a section to read:
    Section 217.    Low-Income Household Water Assistance
 Program.--(a)    No later than July 1, 2026, the department, in
 consultation with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission,
 shall establish the Low-Income Household Water Assistance
 Program, to be administered by the department.
    (b)   The purpose of the program is to provide assistance for
 eligible individuals who are water system customers or
 wastewater system customers in this Commonwealth for overdue
 water system bills or wastewater system bills upon the
 termination of the temporary Federal Low-Income Household Water
 Assistance Program.
    (c)   The department shall develop eligibility requirements
 under the program in accordance with this subsection, without
 limitation. An individual eligible for assistance under the
 program must meet all of the following requirements:
    (1)   Own or rent a home in this Commonwealth.
    (2)   Be a water system customer or wastewater system customer
 and be financially responsible for paying the water system bills
 or wastewater system bills.
    (3)   Have an overdue water system bill or wastewater system
 bill, which has resulted in arrearages, a termination notice or
 the termination of water system services or wastewater system
 services.
    (4)   Comply with certain income guidelines as determined by
 the department.
    (d)   A water system entity or wastewater system entity may
 apply for a grant under the program on behalf of eligible
 individuals described under subsection (c) on a form and in a
 manner determined by the department. A completed application
 must contain all of the following:
    (1)   The name and contact information of the water system
 entity or wastewater system entity seeking the grant.
    (2)   The names and addresses of the water system customers or
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 wastewater system customers seeking assistance under the program
 along with verification of their eligibility to receive services
 under the program.
    (3)    The amount of the overdue water system bills or
 wastewater system bills for the customers seeking assistance
 under the program, along with the circumstances that have
 resulted from the overdue bills, including arrearages,
 termination notices or termination of services.
    (e)    The department shall review each application under
 subsection (d) and determine the amount of the grant to be
 awarded, including the designated individuals eligible to
 receive assistance under the program and any conditions
 regarding the award of the grant.
    (f)    A grant under the program may only be used for the
 following purposes:
    (1)    Preventing the termination of water system services or
 wastewater system services.
    (2)    Paying past-due water system bills or wastewater system
 bills.
    (3)    Restoring terminated water system services or wastewater
 system services.
    (g)    The following shall apply to reports:
    (1)    Each July 1 following the effective date of this
 subsection, the department shall issue a report on all of the
 following:
    (i)    The water system entities and wastewater system entities
 that have sought a grant under the program.
    (ii)    The water system entities and wastewater system
 entities that have received a grant under the program.
    (iii)     The number of customers who received assistance under
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 the program, along with the amount and purpose of the grant
 received by each customer.
    (iv)     The total amount of money expended under the program.
    (2)     The department shall submit each report under this
 subsection to all of the following:
    (i)     The Governor.
    (ii)     The President pro tempore of the Senate.
    (iii)     The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
    (iv)     The Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the Senate.
    (v)     The Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the House of
 Representatives.
    (vi)     The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
 Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee of the
 Senate.
    (vii)     The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
 Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee of the
 House of Representatives.
    (3)     Each report under this subsection shall be posted on the
 publicly accessible Internet website of the department.
    (h)     Rulemaking authority.--The department shall promulgate
 any rules, regulations or guidelines necessary to implement this
 section.
    (i)     As used in this section, the following words and phrases
 shall have the following meanings:
    "Program" means the Low-Income Household Water Assistance
 Program established under subsection (a).
    "Wastewater system" means as the term "sewer system" is
 defined under 25 Pa. Code § 94.1 (relating to definitions).
    "Water system" means a public water system that serves at
 least fifteen service connections used by year-round residents
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 or regularly serves at least twenty-five year-round residents.
    Section 3.   This act shall take effect immediately.
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Statutes/Laws affected: 
Printer's No. 0970: P.L.31, No.21