Plain English Breakdown
The bill authorizes a survey by July 1, 2026, but specifies it is voluntary.
Water Rate Assistance Program
This law ends state rules for a temporary federal water aid program and allows local city water companies to create their own help programs using available funds.
What This Bill Does
- Removes the requirement for the Department of Community Services and Development to run the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program, which ended on March 31, 2024.
- Allows public urban retail water suppliers to offer financial help, such as bill reductions or credits, to lower the cost of drinking water for customers.
- Defines eligible customers to include households with an annual income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guideline level.
- Permits water companies to use their own available funds or voluntary contributions from other ratepayers to pay for this assistance.
- Requires urban retail water suppliers to report details about their assistance programs in technical reports starting January 1, 2028.
Who It Names or Affects
- Public urban retail water suppliers that serve city customers.
- Residential ratepayers with low incomes who pay for drinking water services.
- The State Water Resources Control Board, which must conduct a voluntary survey of water companies by July 1, 2026.
Terms To Know
- Water rate assistance
- Any method used to lower the cost of drinking water service, such as reducing a bill amount or giving an account credit.
- Federal poverty guideline level
- A standard income number set by the federal government that is used to determine if a household has low income.
Limits and Unknowns
- The bill does not require water companies to create these programs; it only allows them to do so.
- Water suppliers must use funds they already have or voluntary donations, as the law does not provide new state money for this purpose.