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A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION establishing the Water Resource Regional 1
Infrastructure Planning Task Force. 2
WHEREAS, Kentucky's water and wastewater infrastructure, inclu ding drinking 3
water treatment plants and distribution systems, wastewater treatment plants and 4
collection systems, stormwater management systems, and dams, is critical to Kentucky's 5
public health and safety, economic development, environmental sustainabili ty, and 6
quality of life; and 7
WHEREAS, there are approximately 450 public drinking water systems in 8
Kentucky that serve more than 95 percent of the population, and the majority of 9
Kentucky's citizens are connected to regional wastewater service; and 10
WHEREAS, these systems include municipalities, boards, associations, districts, 11
and investor -owned companies whose structure of governance and regulatory control 12
varies; and 13
WHEREAS, Kentucky's water infrastructure is extensive, and the average age of 14
Kentucky's water systems often exceeds the system's design life; and 15
WHEREAS, Kentucky has made significant progress to preserve and improve 16
access to potable water and adequate wastewater services through regionalization and 17
consolidation of water and wastewater systems; and 18
WHEREAS, the challenges for Kentucky's water and wastewater infrastructure are 19
system age; ongoing use of deferred maintenance; insufficient planning and infrastructure 20
investment; and a lack of technical, managerial and financial capacity, all of which have 21
resulted in water infrastructure failures; and 22
WHEREAS, a comprehensive regional planning framework is needed to identify 23
the least-cost options to address Kentucky's water and wastewater infrastructure needs, 24
avoid waste and duplication of e fforts, and conserve the Commonwealth's water 25
resources; and 26
WHEREAS, it is necessary to convene a wide range of stakeholder groups to 27
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 2534
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develop a plan for regional water and wastewater infrastructure development that will 1
most efficiently coordinate state, local, and regional resources to provide the least -cost 2
water and wastewater utility services; 3
NOW, THEREFORE, 4
Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of 5
Kentucky, the House of Representatives concurring therein: 6
Section 1. The Legislative Research Commission is hereby directed to establish 7
the Water Resource Regional Infrastructure Planning Task Force to: 8
(1) Evaluate and develop legislative recommendations and policy options on how 9
to establish a comprehensive process t hrough which a water or wastewater utility 10
proposing a new infrastructure project can examine all feasible options for the project, 11
including but not limited to capital and operating options, water purchase options, and 12
regional partnerships with other utilities, to determine which option is: 13
(a) The least -cost option for providing their utility service, including 14
consideration of potential costs to residents of the region who are customers of other 15
water or wastewater utilities; and 16
(b) Least impactful to the water resources for the region, including regional 17
treatment and local distribution and collection systems; 18
(2) Identify and assess the current regulatory and enforcement authority of the 19
Public Service Commission, the Division of Water, and the Kentuc ky Infrastructure 20
Authority to coordinate efforts and resources to ensure that water and wastewater utility 21
infrastructure projects and asset management practices most cost effectively meet the 22
needs of their ratepayers and residents of the region; 23
(3) Review the financial and legal impact of the Geographic Information 24
Advisory Council’s geographic information system data collection recommendations; and 25
(4) Identify statutes that would need to be amended to implement policy options 26
and any legal impediments to implementing specific policy options. 27
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Section 2. The task force shall have 14 members, with the co -chairs of the 1
committee selected by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of 2
Representatives from the appointed legislative membership of their respective chambers. 3
The final membership of the task force, subject to the consideration and approval of the 4
Legislative Research Commission, shall be as follows: 5
(1) Two legislative members chosen by the Spea ker of the House of 6
Representatives and one member chosen by the Minority Floor Leader of the House of 7
Representatives; 8
(2) Two legislative members chosen by the President of the Senate and one 9
member chosen by the Minority Floor Leader of the Senate; 10
(3) One member representing the Kentucky League of Cities submitted by the 11
organization; 12
(4) One member representing Kentucky Area Development Districts submitted by 13
the organization; 14
(5) The director of the Division of Water within the Energy and Environmen t 15
Cabinet or his or her designee; 16
(6) The executive director of the Public Service Commission or his or her 17
designee; 18
(7) The executive director of the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority or his or her 19
designee; 20
(8) A representative from the Kentucky Associa tion of Counties submitted by the 21
organization; 22
(9) A representative from the Kentucky Rural Water Association submitted by the 23
organization; and 24
(10) An operator representative of the Kentucky Water and Wastewater Operators 25
Association submitted by the organization. 26
Section 3. The task force shall meet once monthly during the 2026 Interim of 27
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the General Assembly, or more often at the call of the co-chairs. 1
Section 4. The task force ma y submit findings, legislative recommendations, or 2
a memorandum to the Legislative Research Commission by December 1, 2026. If 3
legislative recommendations are submitted, the Legislative Research Commission may 4
refer the recommendations to the appropriate c ommittee or committees of jurisdiction by 5
December 20, 2026, in advance of the 2027 Regular Session of the Kentucky General 6
Assembly. 7
Section 5. Provisions of this Resolution to the contrary notwithstanding, the 8
Legislative Research Commission shall have the authority to alternatively assign the 9
issues identified herein to an interim joint committee or subcommittee thereof and to 10
designate a study completion date. 11