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AB-1639 Water systems: manufactured housing communities.(2023-2024)



Current Version: 02/17/23 - Introduced

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AB1639:v99#DOCUMENT


CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 1639

Introduced by Assembly Member Hoover

February 17, 2023

An act relating to water.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 1639, as introduced, Hoover. Water systems: manufactured housing communities.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including gas, electrical, and water corporations. Existing law authorizes an owner of a master-metered mobilehome park or manufactured housing community that provides gas or electrical service to residents to transfer ownership and operational responsibility to the gas corporation or electrical corporation providing service in the area in which the park or community is located.
This bill would, in addition to making specified findings and declarations, state the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation to require water corporations to purchase, own, and operate water systems currently owned and operated by manufactured housing communities, upon request of the owner, in order to assume responsibility for direct delivery of water to residents of those communities, as specified.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NO   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) California faces a severe shortage of housing, and manufactured housing communities provide housing to almost 509,000 Californians on approximately 363,000 manufactured park spaces.
(b) Manufactured housing communities are an important resource to address California’s housing needs.
(c) California faces a severe shortage of water supply. The state has promoted and required water conservation programs by water corporations, as defined in Section 241 of the Public Utilities Code, that are more widely administered through direct customer relations.
(d) Manufactured housing providers are responsible for providing water utility connections for residents to access water supplied to a master meter at their community from a water corporation.
(e) Manufactured housing providers remain the customer of the water corporation for the entire community while owning and operating utilities within the community, including water.
(f) The Legislature authorized a program to enable electrical corporations, as defined in Section 218 of the Public Utilities Code, and gas corporations, as defined in Section 222 of the Public Utilities Code, to directly serve residents in manufactured housing communities, giving residents access to Public Utilities Commission regulated rates and services, including a broad range of public purpose programs.
(g) It is in the interest of the state to have water corporations own and operate water systems within manufactured housing communities in order to provide water service to those residents as their customers.

SEC. 2.

 It is the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation to require water corporations, as defined in Section 241 of the Public Utilities Code, to purchase, own, and operate water systems currently owned and operated by manufactured housing communities, upon request of the owner, in order to assume responsibility for the direct delivery of water to residents of manufactured housing communities. It is the intent of the Legislature that this requirement would be implemented by the Public Utilities Commission in a manner consistent with the similar existing programs administered by electrical corporations, as defined in Section 218 of the Public Utilities Code, and gas corporations, as defined in Section 222 of the Public Utilities Code.