COMMUNITY WATER SUPPLY; MOBILE HOMES S.B. 920:
SUMMARY OF BILL
REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 920 (as reported without amendment)
Committee: Housing and Human Services
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to do the following:
-- Require the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to promulgate and enforce rules to ensure adequate and reliable drinking water to mobile homes located within a mobile home park or seasonal mobile home park.
-- Designate a public water supply that provided year-round service to mobile home parks as a community supply and specify that the park's piping would be considered customer site piping.
-- Prohibit a private water supply developer or owner from passing on required escrow costs for a waterworks system to the living units as part of the cost of service of that system.
-- Specify that a private developer or owner would have to follow construction and permitting rules if the water system served a mobile home or seasonal mobile home park or if EGLE found a deficiency in the system.
BRIEF RATIONALE
Generally, EGLE may evaluate waterworks systems to protect the public heath and must make certain that water suppliers meet State drinking water standards. According to testimony before the Senate Committee on Housing and Human Services, it is not uncommon for the water quality of some mobile home or seasonal mobile home parks to not meet the State's standards because EGLE has a limited scope of authority after water is received by a municipality. It has been suggested to grant EGLE authority to ensure safe drinking water at mobile home and seasonal mobile home parks.
Legislative Analyst: Eleni Lionas
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have a significant negative fiscal impact for EGLE. This would generally include staffing and administrative costs associated with developing and implementing requirements for mobile homes and mobile home parks as designated by the bill. The Department estimates that this would result in a 50% increase in community water supply inventory that it oversees. The bill would not provide for additional funding, and it is unclear at this time if implementing this bill would exceed current appropriations.
Date Completed: 11-4-24 Fiscal Analyst: Jonah Houtz
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.