CaliforniaWater rate assistance program.
What it does
(1) Existing federal law, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, among other things, requires the federal Department of Health and Human Services to carry out a Low-Income Household Drinking Water and Wastewater Emergency Assistance Program, which is also known as the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program, for making grants to states and Indian tribes to assist low-income households that pay a high proportion of household income for drinking water and wastewater services, as provided. Existing law requires the Department of Community Services and Development to administer the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program in this state, and to receive and expend moneys appropriated and allocated to the state for purposes of that program, pursuant to the above-described federal law. The Low Income Household Water Assistance Program was only operative until March 31, 2024.
More detail
This bill would repeal the above-described requirements related to the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program.
(2) Existing law, the California Safe Drinking Water Act, requires the State Water Resources Control Board to administer provisions relating to the regulation of drinking water to protect public health. Existing law declares it to be the established policy of the state that every human being has the right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water adequate for human consumption, cooking, and sanitary purposes.
Existing law requires the state board, by January 1, 2018, to develop a plan for the funding and implementation of the Low-Income Water Rate Assistance Program, as prescribed. Existing law requires the state board, by February 1, 2018, to report to the Legislature on its findings regarding the feasibility, financial stability, and desired structure of the program, including any recommendations for legislative action that may need to be taken. Existing law requires a public water system to submit a technical report to the state board as part of the permit application or when otherwise required by the state board.
This bill would authorize a public urban retail water supplier to provide water rate assistance to its ratepayers, as specified, and would define the term "water rate assistance" to mean any offset of the cost of drinking water service provided through a low-income water rate assistance program, including, but not limited to, a reduction in a water bill, a percentage reduction of a water utility bill, a water account credit, or crisis assistance used to reduce or eliminate a water bill arrearage or potential arrearage. The bill would authorize the water rate assistance to be provided to specified eligible ratepayers, including, among others, residential ratepayers with an annual household income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guideline level. The bill would authorize a public urban retail water supplier to use any funding it has available to provide water rate assistance to its ratepayers, as specified, including voluntary contributions sought from other ratepayers. The bill would require an urban retail water supplier to, beginning January 1, 2028, include in the technical report to the state board specified information regarding its water rate assistance program. The bill would require the state board to conduct a voluntary survey of urban retail water suppliers, as provided, by July 1, 2026.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2025
- Aug 29In committee: Held under submission.Latest
- Aug 18In committee: Referred to suspense file.Minor
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Jul 17Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Jul 16From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 16).Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Upper
- Jul 2From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on L. GOV. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (July 2). Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Local Government] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 19From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on E.Q.Major
- Jun 18Referred to Coms. on E.Q. and L. GOV.Minor
- Jun 4In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Jun 3Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 2009.)Passed Assembly
- Vote recorded AB 532 Ransom Assembly Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- May 27Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 23Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Lower
- May 23From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (May 23).Major
- May 23Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Ayes 51. Noes 16. Page 1644.)
- May 14In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.Minor
- May 6Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- May 5Read second time and amended.Major
- May 1From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 18. Noes 0.) (April 30).Major
- Apr 30From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on U. & E. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (April 29). Re-referred to Com. on U. & E.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 29
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Utilities and Energy]. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 24(Pending re-refer to Com. on U. & E.)Minor
- Apr 24Assembly Rule 56 suspended. (Page 1265.)
- Apr 23Re-referred to Com. on E.S & T.M.Minor
- Apr 22From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on E.S & T.M. Read second time and amended.Major
- Apr 2Re-referred to Com. on E.S & T.M.Minor
- Apr 1From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on E.S & T.M. Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 3Referred to Com. on E.S & T.M.Minor
- Feb 12From printer. May be heard in committee March 14.
- Feb 11Read first time. To print.Introduced