February 7, 2020 - Introduced by Representatives Pope, Hebl, Shankland,
Anderson, Billings, Brostoff, Emerson, Fields, Neubauer, C. Taylor,
Zamarripa, Sargent, Subeck, Gruszynski, Stubbs, Cabrera, Milroy, Sinicki,
Hesselbein, Ohnstad, Considine, Vruwink, Spreitzer and Doyle,
cosponsored by Senators Miller, Smith, Risser, Erpenbach, Larson,
Schachtner, Carpenter, Wirch and Ringhand. Referred to Committee on
Energy and Utilities.

AB866,1,7 1An Act to repeal 281.75 (7) (b) and 281.75 (9); to amend 20.866 (1) (u), 20.866
2(2) (td), 20.866 (2) (ti), 281.75 (1) (b) (intro.), 1. and 2., 281.75 (4m) (a), 281.75
3(5) (b) 1., 281.75 (5) (f), 281.75 (6) (a) and 281.75 (7) (a); and to create 13.48
4(26m), 20.370 (7) (cu), 20.866 (2) (tj), 281.54, 281.61 (8) (b), 281.75 (1) (b) 4.,
5281.75 (5) (g) and 281.75 (7) (am) of the statutes; relating to: well
6compensation grants, lead service line replacements, funding for soil and water
7programs, and making an appropriation.

Under current law, an individual owner or renter of a contaminated private well
may apply for a grant from DNR to cover a portion of the costs to treat the water,
reconstruct the well, construct a new well, connect to a public water supply, or fill and
seal the well. To be eligible for a grant the well owner's or renter's annual family
income may not exceed $65,000. A grant awarded under the program may not pay
more than 75 percent of a project's eligible costs and may not pay any portion of
eligible costs in excess of $16,000. In addition, if the well owner's or renter's annual
family income exceeds $45,000, the amount of the award is reduced by 30 percent of
the amount by which the annual family income exceeds $45,000.

The bill increases the family income limit to $100,000. In addition, under the
bill, a well owner or renter whose family income is below the state's median income

may receive a grant of up to 100 percent of a project's eligible costs, not to exceed
$16,000. The bill also eliminates the requirement to reduce an award by 30 percent
if the well owner's or renter's family income exceeds $45,000. The bill increases the
amount appropriated to DNR for payments under this program by $1,600,000.

The bill also appropriates to DNR $173,000 to fund a position to administer the
program.

Under current law, the state may contract up to $74,950,000 in public debt for
the safe drinking water loan program. This bill increases the bonding authority for
the program by $40,000,000 and requires DOA to allocate up to $40,000,000 of the
authorized public debt to projects involving forgivable loans to private users of public
water systems to cover not more than 50 percent of the cost to replace lead service
lines.

Under current law, the state may contract up to $36,000,000 in public debt to
pay a portion of the costs of a project to remove contaminated sediment from Lake
Michigan or Lake Superior, or a tributary of Lake Michigan or Lake Superior, if DNR
has identified the body of water as being impaired by the sediment. This bill
increases the bonding authority for sediment removal projects by $21,000,000.