SPONSOR:

Rep. Shupe & Rep. Lambert & Sen. S. McBride & Sen. Buckson & Rep. Dorsey Walker & Sen. Hansen

Reps. Bolden, Briggs King, Harris, Parker Selby, Ramone, Michael Smith, K. Williams; Sens. Hoffner, Huxtable, Wilson

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

152nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 59

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ESTABLISHING A PROGRAM FOR THE INSTALLATION OF RESIDENTIAL DRINKING WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEMS.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend § 122, Title 16 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 122. Powers and duties of the Department of Health and Social Services.

The Department shall have the following general powers and duties:

(3) Adopt, promulgate, amend, and repeal regulations consistent with law, which regulations shall not extend, modify or conflict with any law of this State or the reasonable implications thereof, and which shall be enforced by all state and local public health officials, to do all of the following:

cc. Establish a program for the installation of drinking water purification systems in residential homes located in this State.

1. An individual residing in a residential home is eligible for a drinking water purification system under this paragraph (3)cc. if all of the following apply:

A. The individual meets low-income qualifications established by the Department.

B. The residential home is not served by a central water system.

C. The water supplied to the residential home is not in compliance with primary or secondary drinking water quality standards.

2. If a recipient of a drinking water purification system under this paragraph (3)cc. is a renter of a residential home, the owner of the home must provide permission for the installation of the drinking water purification system.

3. The total amount authorized for the program may not exceed $200,000 per year.

4. The Department’s Division of Public Health, Health Systems Protection Section, shall administer the funding for the program.

When deemed necessary by the Department, such regulations may provide for the issuance of permits to persons engaged in the occupations or businesses so regulated and the revocation for cause of the permits.

SYNOPSIS

This Act establishes a residential drinking water purification system program to be administered through the Department of Health and Social Services.