Bill > HB1906

This bill aims to increase transparency and consumer protection in water system rates by requiring water systems to provide advance notification to local governments and adjacent water systems before a change in ownership, and to inform customers about potential capital improvements and rate changes at least 90 days prior to acquisition. It also mandates that the Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC), the state agency that regulates privately owned water companies, must establish specific rules for reviewing and approving water rate changes, ensuring that capital improvement costs are prudently incurred and that rates are just, fair, reasonable, and sufficient. The bill also introduces provisions for multiyear rate plans, allowing water companies to propose longer-term rate structures, and includes measures to support the consolidation of struggling water systems into more stable ones, with the goal of ensuring affordable and reliable access to safe drinking water for all residents.