Bill Text: MI SB0980 | 2023-2024 | 102nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Human services: services or financial assistance; low-income water residential affordability program task force; create. Amends 1939 PA 280 (MCL 400.1 - 400.119b) by adding sec. 14q. TIE BAR WITH: SB 0549'23, SB 0550'23, SB 0551'23
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-08-15 - Referred To Committee On Housing And Human Services [SB0980 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2023-SB0980-Introduced.html
SENATE BILL NO. 980
A bill to amend 1939 PA 280, entitled
"The social welfare act,"
(MCL 400.1 to 400.119b) by adding section 14q.
the people of the state of michigan enact:
Sec. 14q. (1) Not later than 30 days after the effective date of the amendatory act that added this section, the department shall create a low-income water residential affordability program task force.
(2) The department director shall appoint members of the task force that include, but are not limited to, representatives of a provider with a population served of less than 3,300; a provider with a population served of between 3,300 and 10,000; a provider with a population served of over 10,000; water and sewerage consumer advocacy groups; community action agencies; municipal governments; small rural counties and suburban and urban areas; and environmental groups.
(3) The task force shall do all of the following:
(a) Discuss, and advise the department on, best practices for administering the affordability program.
(b) By no later than 9 months after the effective date of the amendatory act that added this section, develop further guidance for the affordability program. The department shall implement this plan no later than 18 months after the effective date of the amendatory act that added this section.
(c) Work with the department to develop educational outreach materials about the affordability program.
(d) Seek additional funding sources for the affordability program.
(e) Explore ways to expand the affordability program to include more types of providers.
(f) Review and make recommendations to the department regarding any potential changes to the water usage limits described in section 14o(13).
(4) The department shall collaborate with the department of treasury to distribute funding from the fund to the providers to make up the difference between the total of customers' actual water, sewerage, and stormwater bill and the total discounted water and sewerage bills provided through the department's or a provider's affordability program. The department shall collaborate with the department of treasury to distribute funds to assist with plumbing repairs and other repairs necessary as described in section 14o(11). The department of treasury shall set aside a specific funding amount for plumbing repairs.
(5) The department shall collaborate with the department of treasury to distribute funds to third party organizations that the department collaborates with to administer the affordability program to cover the administrative costs.
Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect unless all of the following bills of the 102nd Legislature are enacted into law:
(a) Senate Bill No. 549.
(b) Senate Bill No. 550.
(c) Senate Bill No. 551.
