AB 1434, as introduced, Yamada. Water corporations: low-income relief programs.
Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including water corporations, as defined. Existing law authorizes the commission to fix the rates and charges for every public utility, and requires that those rates and charges be just and reasonable. Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission to consider, and authorizes the commission to implement, programs to provide rate relief for low-income ratepayers of a water corporation.
This bill would instead require the commission to implement a program to provide rate relief for low-income ratepayers of a water corporation, as specified.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 739.8 of the Public Utilities Code is
2amended to read:
(a) Access to an adequate supply of healthful water is
2a basic necessity of human life, and shall be made available to all
3residents of California at an affordable cost.
4(b) begin insert(1)end insertbegin insert end insert The commission shallbegin delete consider and mayend delete implement
5programs to provide rate relief for low-income ratepayers.
6(2) A program pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include a
7discount of not less than 20 percent of the low-income ratepayer’s
8total bill amount.
9(3) The rate relief shall be made available to all eligible
10low-income ratepayers obtaining service from a water corporation
11serving water at retail within the area in which the low-income
12ratepayer is located.
13(c) The commission shall consider and may implement programs
14to assist low-income ratepayers in order to provide appropriate
15incentives and capabilities to achieve water conservation goals.
16(d) In establishing the feasibility of rate relief and conservation
17incentives for low-income
ratepayers, the commission may take
18into account variations in water needs caused by geography, climate
19and the ability of communities to support these programs.
20(e) For purposes of this section, “low-income” means a
21household with income that is equal or no greater than 200 percent
22of the federal poverty guideline level. For one-person households,
23program eligibility shall be based on two-person household
24guideline levels.
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