HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 5082        FILED ON: 5/11/2020

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf

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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.