Bill > HB2042

This bill establishes a water conservation rebate program managed by the commission on water resource management, which can work with public water systems and utilities to offer rebates for newly constructed water conservation systems, with a cap on total rebates granted annually and specific limits per residential household ($1,000) and commercial entity ($5,000) per year, covering no more than fifty percent of the system's cost. The commission will prepare necessary forms, request proposals from water systems, collect data on water savings, and prioritize rebates where non-state funds are matched with state funds. "Public water system" is defined as in section 340E-1, and "water conservation systems" are defined as equipment and supplies that reduce potable water use or waste, including items like rain barrels, low-flow toilets, and hot water circulation pumps, as determined by the commission. The bill also mandates the commission to review the program's impact, assess matching funds, and report recommendations to the legislature by early 2018, and appropriates funds for the program, with the entire act set to take effect on July 1, 2050, and be repealed on an unspecified date.