Legislative Alert: Members Urged to Reaffirm Opposition to SB 223; Make Legislative Contacts on SB 222, SB 223 by Caroline Minasian Apr 14, 2021 ACWA is urging member agencies to join coalitions and contact legislators in opposition to two separate but related bills, SB 222 and SB 223, which are scheduled to be heard by the Senate Environmental Quality Committee on April 29. ACWA’s coalition letters are due to the committee by noon on Monday, April 19. SB 222 (Dodd) would require the State Department of Community Services to create an overly broad and costly water and wastewater rate assistance program that would be implemented in part by public water systems. It would also require public water systems to submit rate and boundary data. ACWA’s State Legislative Committee has taken an oppose-unless-amended position. ACWA believes the bill should focus solely on a low-income rate assistance program for water and wastewater, and be designed in a reasonable, efficient and effective manner that’s funded with a progressive funding source. SB 223 (Dodd), as amended on April 5, would prioritize use of non-rate revenue for customer debt forgiveness over all other uses and lead to agencies having less funds available for safe drinking water projects, infrastructure repairs and more. The author is now amending the bill based on the analysis of the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee, which passed the bill on April 12. The amendments are not yet available, but they will likely require public water agencies to consider during a public meeting whether an arrearage management plan that forgives customer debt with the use of non-rate revenue is appropriate for their given service territory. ACWA is concerned that this proposal would still have the Legislature intervening in public water agency financial management. (Separate from SB 222 and SB 223, ACWA is advocating for state one-time funding to assist with COVID-19-related customer arrearages.) SB 223 originally proposed a requirement that water agencies forgive the entire balance of a customer’s unpaid water debt. Although the author removed that proposed unconstitutional mandate, the April 5 amendments propose a more round-about way to get to the same goal of mandating agencies offer debt forgiveness. In response to the amendments, ACWA’s State Legislative Committee on April 9 moved from an oppose-unless-amended position to an oppose position. As noted above, further amendments are expected. Take Action Now Both bills passed out of the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee on April 12 and are scheduled to be heard by the Senate Environmental Quality Committee on April 29. The deadline for ACWA to submit the coalition letters to the committee is noon on April 19. 1. Join Two Coalitions. For SB 222, join ACWA’s collation by emailing ACWA State Relations Analyst Soren Nelson by 9 a.m. on Monday, April 19. If you are already part of ACWA’s SB 222 coalition, ACWA will automatically include your organization on the April 19 letter. For SB 223, let ACWA know that you want your agency to be listed on the coalition letter. Because the bill has been amended and ACWA’s position on SB 223 has changed, members who have already joined the SB 223 coalition must reaffirm their opposition to be listed on the April 19 letter by emailing Soren Nelson by 9 a.m. on Monday, April 19. ACWA’s most recent SB 222 and SB 223 coalition letters on the April 5 versions of the bills are available on ACWA’s website. ACWA staff plans to update the letters to reflect amendments as they become available and the new position on SB 223. 2. Contact your local legislator(s) to share your agency’s concerns with both bills. ACWA has provided talking points to assist in those conversations. Legislators’ contact information can be found on the California Legislature’s website. Member agencies with local representatives serving on the Senate Environmental Quality Committee (see roster below) are especially encouraged to take action. Senate Environmental Quality Committee Senator Benjamin Allen (Chair) Phone: 916-651-4026 Fax: 916-651-4926 Email: senator.allen@senate.ca.gov Senator Patricia C. Bates (Vice Chair) Phone: 916-651-4036 Fax: 916-651-4936 Email: senator.bates@senate.ca.gov Senator Brian Dahle Phone: 916-651-4001 Fax: 916-651-4901 Email: senator.dahle@senate.ca.gov Senator Lena A. Gonzalez Phone: 916-651-4033 Fax: 916-651-4933 Email: senator.gonzalez@senate.ca.gov Senator Nancy Skinner Phone: 916-651-4009 Fax: 916-651-4909 Email: senator.skinner@senate.ca.gov Senator Henry I. Stern Phone: 916-651-4027 Fax: 916-651-4927 Email: senator.stern@senate.ca.gov Senator Bob Wieckowski Phone: 916-651-4010 Fax: 916-651-4910 Email: senator.wieckowski@senate.ca.gov Questions For questions about SB 222 (water rate assistance), please contact ACWA Deputy Executive Director for Government Relations Cindy Tuck at cindyt@acwa.com or (916) 441-4545. For questions about SB 223 (water bill debt forgiveness/shutoffs), please contact ACWA Legislative Advocate Kristopher Anderson at krisa@acwa.com or (916) 441-4545.
