HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 5082 FILED ON: 5/11/2020
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No.
|
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act prohibiting districts from shutting off water during COVID-19.
_______________
PETITION OF:
Name: | District/Address: | Date Added: |
David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf | 17th Worcester | 5/11/2020 |
Maria Duaime Robinson | 6th Middlesex | 5/12/2020 |
Jack Patrick Lewis | 7th Middlesex | 5/12/2020 |
Michael O. Moore | Second Worcester | 5/13/2020 |
Patrick M. O'Connor | Plymouth and Norfolk | 5/13/2020 |
Susannah M. Whipps | 2nd Franklin | 5/13/2020 |
Marcos A. Devers | 16th Essex | 5/14/2020 |
Bud L. Williams | 11th Hampden | 5/14/2020 |
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 5082 FILED ON: 5/11/2020
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No.
By Mr. LeBoeuf of Worcester, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf and others for legislation to prohibit districts from shutting off water during the COVID-19 pandemic. Municipalities and Regional Government. |
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)
_______________
An Act prohibiting districts from shutting off water during COVID-19.
Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to prohibit forthwith, districts from shutting off water supplied to customers during the COVID-19 emergency, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
An act prohibiting water, fire and other districts from shutting off water supplied to customers during the COVID-19 emergency.
Chapter 53 of the Acts of 2020 is hereby amended by inserting after section 11 the following section:-
SECTION 11A. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, as a result of the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, or the governor’s March 10, 2020 declaration of a state of emergency, a water or fire district or other district supplying water service shall not: (i) shut off water service to a customer for failure to pay a bill or any portion of a bill the district issued to a customer and (ii) the district shall not send communications that threaten to shut off water service to any of their customers for failure to pay a bill or any portion of a bill the district issued to a customer. The provisions of this section shall expire 90 days after the state of emergency in the commonwealth related to COVID-19 is lifted.