SENATE BILL NO. 251

A bill to require all state departments and agencies to establish certain residential water affordability criteria; to create the office of residential water affordability within the department of health and human services; to prescribe the powers and duties of the office of residential water affordability; and to prescribe the powers and duties of certain state and local governmental officers and entities.

the people of the state of michigan enact:

Sec. 1. This act may be cited as the "water affordability and transparency act".

Sec. 3. As used in this act:

(a) "Department" means the department of health and human services.

(b) "Office" means the office of residential water affordability created in section 7.

(c) "Provider" means a public or private community water supply that provides retail water service in this state or performs retail billing services for another community water supply.

(d) "Residential water affordability program" means a low-income water residential affordability program created under section 14o of the social welfare act, 1939 PA 280, MCL 400.14o.

Sec. 5. (1) Each individual needs and should have access to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water for human consumption, cooking, and sanitary purposes.

(2) All state departments and agencies shall employ all reasonable means to implement this section. All state departments and agencies shall revise, adopt, or establish policies, regulations, and grant criteria to further this section by establishing residential water affordability criteria as appropriate, to the extent that those actions do not affect eligibility for federal funds.

(3) This section does not expand any obligation of this state to provide water or to require the expenditure of additional resources to develop water infrastructure beyond the obligations that may exist under subsection (2).

(4) This section applies to water supplied for individual use and not for new development in this state.

(5) The implementation of this section does not infringe on the rights or responsibilities of any public water system in this state.

Sec. 7. (1) The office of residential water affordability is created within the department. The director shall appoint a deputy of the office.

(2) The office shall establish procedures for the office for budgeting, expending money, and employing personnel in accordance with the management and budget act, 1984 PA 431, MCL 18.1101 to 18.1594.

(3) The office shall do both of the following:

(a) Track and maintain data on all of the following:

(i) All providers in this state.

(ii) The status of each provider's residential water affordability program.

(iii) Information included in the report provided for in section 14t(16) of the social welfare act, 1939 PA 280, MCL 400.14t.

(b) Create and maintain a website accessible to the public that contains the information included in the report provided for in section 14t(16) of the social welfare act, 1939 PA 280, MCL 400.14t.

Enacting section 1. This act does not take effect unless all of the following bills of the 103rd Legislature are enacted into law:

(a) Senate Bill No. 248.

(b) Senate Bill No. 250.