HB 1259

ON MARCH 9, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #2 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 639, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 r ewrites this bill to authorize municipal water and sewer systems to undertake certain projects on private property. Present law generally prohibits municipal water and sewer systems from bidding on or constructing any project for a private purpose. Present law specifies that "project for a private purpose” does not include the renewal or replacement of individual wat er or sewage lines behind a meter or onto private property when such rehabilitative maintenance or construction is deemed necessary by the municipal corporation because excessive infiltration and inflow from groundwater or rainwater is resulting in sanita ry sewer overflows or other serious health or system capacity issues. Municipal corporations are authorized, but not required, to maintain or construct individual lines for this purpose if the property owner consents and agrees to hold the municipal corpor ation harmless for the work. This amendment replaces the present law exception to project for a private purpose. This amendment specifies that ""project for a private purpose"" does not include the renewal or replacement or assessment of: (1) Private water lines behind a utility-owned meter when such rehabilitative maintenance or construction is deemed necessary by a municipality, utility district, metropolitan government, or other public entity to address lead service lines or galvanize d requiring replacement lines located on private property, but only for the portion of the service line extending from the utility-owned meter to the exterior building envelope of the structure served for the purpose of addressing serious health issues; o r (2) Sewage lines on private property when such rehabilitative maintenance or construction is deemed necessary by a municipality, utility district, metropolitan government, or other public entity because excessive infiltration and inflow from groundwater or rainwater is resulting in sanitary sewer overflows or other serious health or system capacity issues. The consent of the owner and a hold-harmless agreement will still be required under (1) and (2). For purposes of this amendment, a service line is ""galvanized requiring replacement"" if the service line that is or was at any time downstream of a lead service line, or is currently or was previously connected to a lead service line, and is required to be replaced pursuant to applicable federal drinking water regulations."