Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia House Bill HB43 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	25 LC 44 2908
2	2	House Bill 43
3	3	By: Representatives Davis of the 87
4	4	th
5	5	, Schofield of the 63
6	6	rd
7	7	, Taylor of the 92
8	8	nd
9	9	, and Scott of
10	10	the 76
11	11	th
12	12
13	13	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
14	14	AN ACT
15	15	To amend Part 1 of Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 12 of the Official Code of Georgia
16	16	1
17	17	Annotated, relating to general provisions of wells and drinking water, so as to establish the2
18	18	Disadvantaged Community Drinking Water Assistance Program; to provide for purpose,3
19	19	requirements, restrictions, and priorities of the program; to provide for definitions; to provide4
20	20	for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.5
21	21	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:6
22	22	SECTION 1.7
23	23	Part 1 of Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 12 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,8
24	24	relating to general provisions of wells and drinking water, is amended by adding a new Code9
25	25	section to read as follows:10
26	26	"12-5-74.
27	27	11
28	28	(a) As used in this Code section, the term:12
29	29	(1) 'Director' means the director of the Environmental Protection Division of the13
30	30	Department of Natural Resources.14
31	31	H. B. 43
32	32	- 1 - 25 LC 44 2908
33	33	(2) 'Disadvantaged community' means any census block group in which 30 percent or15
34	34	more of the population comprises individuals with an annual household income equal to16
35	35	or less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level.17
36	36	(3) 'Division' means the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural18
37	37	Resources.19
38	38	(b) There is established the Disadvantaged Community Drinking Water Assistance20
39	39	Program to be administered by the division.21
40	40	(c) The purpose of the Disadvantaged Community Drinking Water Assistance Program22
41	41	shall be to provide financial assistance, as shall be appropriated to the division, to23
42	42	disadvantaged communities that have experienced a significant decline in quantity or24
43	43	quality of drinking water and to obtain or maintain adequate quantities of water that meets25
44	44	the standards set by the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 U.S.C. Section 300f, et seq.26
45	45	(d) Grants provided pursuant to this Code section may be used for the following purposes:27
46	46	(1) Point of use treatment and point of entry systems;28
47	47	(2) Wellhead treatment and distributed treatment facilities;29
48	48	(3) Blending systems in compliance with state regulations;30
49	49	(4) Costs related to the consolidation of a small rural water system or multiple small rural31
50	50	water systems with a larger system;32
51	51	(5) Construction of new water source facilities including wells and connections to33
52	52	existing systems;34
53	53	(6) Water distribution facilities;35
54	54	(7) Water capacity fees, water supply development fees, water connections fees, and36
55	55	similar fees that are assessed when a new connection is added to an existing public water37
56	56	system as part of a consolidation;38
57	57	(8) Assistance to households to connect to water facilities;39
58	58	(9) Emergency water supplies; and40
59	59	H. B. 43
60	60	- 2 - 25 LC 44 2908
61	61	(10) Application and technical assistance costs associated with the activities described41
62	62	in paragraphs (1) through (9) of this subsection.42
63	63	(e) In determining priorities for funding projects, the director shall take into consideration:43
64	64	(1) Disadvantaged communities that are currently operating under notices of violation44
65	65	for failing to provide potable water that meets primary drinking water standards;45
66	66	(2) Whether the applicant has the ability to qualify for alternative funding sources that46
67	67	do not result in water rate increases unable to be absorbed by the residential ratepayers;47
68	68	(3) Disadvantaged communities deemed vulnerable to water shortage conditions because48
69	69	the systems serving such disadvantaged communities are located in critically overdrafted49
70	70	groundwater basins and have only a single water supply source;50
71	71	(4) Rural disadvantaged communities served by individual, on-site domestic wells that51
72	72	have documented dry well conditions or contaminated well conditions; and52
73	73	(5) Public water systems that desire to consolidate with each other, or with a larger urban53
74	74	system, to increase economies of scale to reduce cost of service and increase the level and54
75	75	quality of water service delivery.55
76	76	(f) A grant provided under this Code section shall not be used to fund:56
77	77	(1) More than 100 percent of the costs for:57
78	78	(A) Technical assistance and other costs associated with application for assistance58
79	79	through the Disadvantaged Community Drinking Water Assistance Program;59
80	80	(B) Initial operating costs incurred to start up, test, and place into service project60
81	81	facilities or components; and61
82	82	(C) Capital costs of construction of facilities or components to ensure such facilities62
83	83	and components are properly operational; or63
84	84	(2) More than 25 percent of operation and maintenance costs incurred subsequent to64
85	85	placing the facilities or components into service to ensure service remains efficient and65
86	86	effective.66
87	87	H. B. 43
88	88	- 3 - 25 LC 44 2908
89	89	(g) No more than 25 percent of funds made available in any fiscal year for grants under67
90	90	this Code section shall be used for operations and maintenance costs."68
91	91	SECTION 2.69
92	92	All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.70
93	93	H. B. 43
94	94	- 4 -