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Committee approves state Low Income Household Water Assistance program bill
Summary
House Bill 921 to establish a state Low Income Household Water Assistance Program administered by DHS and coordinated with the Public Utilities Commission was reported from committee 18-9 after the sponsor said it would target arrears, prevent shutoffs and restore service via municipal authority grant applications.
The House Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities Committee voted to report House Bill 921, which would establish a state-level Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) to help eligible low-income households manage overdue water and wastewater bills.
Representative Nate Davidson, the bill sponsor, said the program is intended to fill the gap left when federal LIHWAP funding ended. "This program administered by DHS in consultation with the Public Utilities Commission aims to help eligible low income households manage overdue water or wastewater bills," Davidson said, describing grants to municipal authorities targeted at preventing shutoffs, paying arrears and restoring service.
Chairman Metzgar and other members questioned funding and long-term cost; Davidson said the program's size is a budget negotiation and suggested the current-year revenue uptick could allow the Commonwealth to stand up the program, while acknowledging multi-year structural deficits would require future reassessment.
The committee recorded a final vote of 18-9 in favor of reporting the bill.
Sponsor testimony emphasized public-health and community-stability benefits and suggested the program would also help utilities by reducing arrearages and stabilizing revenue. The committee did not record a detailed appropriation or a fiscal note in the hearing record; funding levels were described as subject to budget negotiations.
