House Bill 2742 aims to amend the Code of West Virginia by creating a limited waiver from the requirement to obtain a certificate of public convenience and necessity for certain water or sewer service projects. Specifically, the bill allows for this waiver for projects that have been reviewed, determined to be technically feasible, and approved by the Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council. This replaces the previous stipulation that the projects must be funded, in whole or in part, by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 or the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund, which is now deleted from the law.

The bill also outlines the procedures for public utilities, persons, or corporations seeking to construct water or sewer services, including the notice requirements and timelines for the Public Service Commission to render decisions on applications. It emphasizes that if the commission does not make a decision within the specified time frames, a certificate of convenience and necessity will be automatically issued as applied for. Overall, the bill seeks to streamline the process for certain water and sewer projects, facilitating quicker approvals while ensuring that technical feasibility is still assessed.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 24-2-11