General Assembly Raised Bill No. 420
February Session, 2016 LCO No. 2681
*_____SB00420APP___042516____*
Referred to Committee on PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Introduced by:
(PD)
General Assembly
Raised Bill No. 420
February Session, 2016
LCO No. 2681
*_____SB00420APP___042516____*
Referred to Committee on PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Introduced by:
(PD)
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A PILOT PROGRAM TO IDENTIFY RESIDENTS WITH UNMET NEEDS BASED ON UNPAID WATER UTILITY BILLS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (Effective from passage) (a) "Water company" has the same meaning as provided in section 25-32a of the general statutes.
(b) The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management shall establish a pilot program, to be implemented in municipalities with populations greater than one hundred thousand for a two-year period beginning January 1, 2017, for the purpose of identifying residential water utility customers whose service has been terminated by a water company at least once in the previous twenty-four months due to a late payment or unpaid bill and whose water utility accounts reflect unpaid balances of one hundred fifty dollars or more. Customers identified pursuant to this subsection shall be deemed residents with unmet needs.
(c) The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, in consultation with municipalities, water companies and other interested parties, shall consider the creation and implementation of a program or programs to assess the unmet needs of such residents and provide assistance that will enable such residents to meet their needs. Such program or programs may (1) allow residents with unmet needs to make small down payments on unpaid balances or extend payment deadlines in order to avoid the termination of service, (2) provide financial counseling to residents with unmet needs, or (3) provide residents with unmet needs with information on public assistance programs for which such residents may be eligible. Such program or programs may utilize private funding sources.
(d) The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, in consultation with municipalities and water companies, shall submit a report, in accordance with section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to local governments and public health, on their findings pursuant to subsection (b) of this section and recommendations pursuant to subsection (c) of this section.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 from passage New section
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
from passage
New section
PD Joint Favorable
APP Joint Favorable
PD
Joint Favorable
APP
Joint Favorable