AB 1434, as amended, Yamada. Low-Income Water Rate Assistance Program.
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.
Existing law establishes the Department of Community Services and Development in state government and vests with the department various powers and authority regarding the implementation and administration of programs to assist low-income individuals in the state.
This bill would require the department, no later than
January 1, 2016, in collaboration with the State Board of Equalization and relevant stakeholders, to develop a plan for the funding and implementation of the Low-Income Water Rate Assistance Program, whichbegin delete includesend deletebegin insert would includeend insert specified elements.begin delete The bill would require the department, no later than January 1, 2017, provided a funding source has been identified and the moneys have been appropriated, to establish the program to require water service providers to provide water bill discounts and subsidies
to eligible low-income residential water ratepayers who enroll in the program, in accordance with prescribed requirements. The bill would create the Low-Income Water Rate Assistance Fund in the State Treasury, and would authorize the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to expend moneys deposited in the fund for the purposes of the program.end delete The bill would require the department, no later than January 1, 2016, to report to the Legislature on its findings regarding the feasibility and desired structure of thebegin delete program to be implemented pursuant to the bill, includingend deletebegin insert program, includingend insert any recommendations forbegin delete additionalend delete legislative action that may need to bebegin delete taken to ensure the successful implementation of the programend deletebegin insert
takenend insert.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 12092 is added to the Government Code,
2to read:
(a) This section shall be known, and may be cited, as
4the Low-Income Water Rate Assistance Act.
5(b) No later than January 1, 2016, the department, in
6collaboration with the board and relevant stakeholders, shall
7develop a plan for the funding and implementation of the
8Low-Income Water Rate Assistance Program, which shall include
9all of the following elements:
10(1) A description of the method for collecting moneys to support
11and implement the program.
12(2) A description of the mechanism for providing funding
13assistance under the program through either
direct credits to
14enrollees in the program or reimbursements to water service
15providers.
16(3) A description of the method to be used to determine the
17amount of moneys that may need to be collected from water
18ratepayers to fund the program. This section does not authorize
19the imposition of a state charge to fund the program.
P3 1(c) (1) No
later than January 1, 2017, and provided a funding
2source has been identified and the moneys have been appropriated,
3the department shall establish the program, which shall require
4water service providers in the state to provide discounts or subsidies
5for eligible low-income residential water ratepayers who enroll in
6the program.
7(2) The department may require documentation, including tax
8documents, pay stubs, wage statements, or other documents
9providing proof of income, of an enrollee’s eligibility for the
10program.
11(d) The program required to be developed pursuant to this
12
section shall ensure all of the following:
13(1) A water discount or subsidy not exceeding 20 percent of an
14enrollee’s total water bill, or sixty dollars ($60) per month,
15whichever is less, shall be made available per billing period to an
16eligible enrollee in the program for residential water service
17provided by a water service provider.
18(2) A water ratepayer who is enrolled in the program may
19receive assistance in the form of a discount or credit based on water
20usage and the total amount of the enrollee’s most recent water bill.
21(e) The Low-Income Water Rate Assistance Fund is hereby
22created in the State Treasury. Moneys deposited in the fund may
23be expended by the department, upon appropriation by the
24Legislature,
for the purposes of the program.
25(f)
end delete
26begin insert(c)end insert No later than January 1, 2016, the department shall report
27to the Legislature on its findings regarding the feasibility and
28desired structure of thebegin delete program to be implemented pursuant to begin insert program, includingend insert any recommendations
29this section, includingend delete
30forbegin delete additionalend delete legislative action that may need to bebegin delete taken to ensure begin insert
takenend insert.
31the successful implementation of the programend delete
32(g)
end delete
33begin insert(d)end insert For purposes of this section, the following terms have the
34following meanings:
35(1) “Board” means the State Board of Equalization.
36(2) “Department” means the Department of Community Services
37and Development.
38(3) “Fund” means the Low-Income Water Rate Assistance Fund.
end delete39(4)
end delete
P4 1begin insert(3)end insert “Low-income” means a household with income that is equal
2to or no greater than 200 percent of the federal poverty guideline
3level. For one-person households, program eligibility shall be
4based on two-person household guideline levels.
5(5)
end delete
6begin insert(4)end insert “Program” means the Low-Income Water Rate Assistance
7Program.
8(6) “Water service provider” means a water corporation, public
9utility district, or other entity that provides water service to
10residential water customers in the state.
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