SF 4121

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 03/25/2022 10:42am

A bill for an act
relating to capital investment; establishing a grant to replace lead drinking water
service lines; establishing a grant for mapping lead service lines; appropriating
money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 446A.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

new text begin [446A.077] LEAD SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENT GRANT PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Establishment. new text end

new text begin The authority must establish a program to replace lead
drinking water service lines in the state by 2032 and must provide grants to entities for this
purpose. The program must be structured so as to maximize use of federal funds available
for the purposes described in subdivision 2.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Eligible recipients. new text end

new text begin The following are eligible recipients of funds in the program:
new text end

new text begin (1) community public water suppliers of a community water system as defined in Code
of Federal Regulations, title 40, section 141.2, as amended;
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new text begin (2) municipalities;
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new text begin (3) suppliers of other residential drinking water systems; and
new text end

new text begin (4) any applicant eligible for loans and grants under the federal Safe Drinking Water
Act.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Eligible uses. new text end

new text begin A city may use a grant provided under this program for:
new text end

new text begin (1) removing and replacing lead drinking water service lines;
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new text begin (2) installing replacement drinking water service lines;
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new text begin (3) matching federal dollars made available for the purposes described in clauses (1)
and (2); and
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new text begin (4) providing information to residents on the benefits of lead service line removal.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Required removal of privately owned lead service line. new text end

new text begin At least 70 percent
of the funds made available under the grant must be used for the purposes of removing
privately owned portions of lead drinking water service lines or installing privately owned
portions of drinking water service lines.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Grant priorities. new text end

new text begin In prioritizing the expenditure of grant money received under
this section, the authority must give priority to applications that utilize the funds as part of
a plan to remove all lead service lines within a municipality or residential drinking water
system. A plan should include:
new text end

new text begin (1) a description of how the recipient will maximize the number of property owners with
privately owned portions of lead lines that will participate in the removal and replacement,
including lower-income residents and those from other disadvantaged communities;
new text end

new text begin (2) a description of how the recipient will coordinate the removal of the publicly owned
and privately owned portions of the lead lines to maximize efficient use of funds; and
new text end

new text begin (3) a description of how the recipient will minimize the number of lead service lines
that are only partially removed.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Workforce plan. new text end

new text begin Applicants who serve 75,000 customers or more must submit
a workforce plan as part of their application. The workforce plan must include a description
of how the applicant will maximize the use of registered apprentices, along with populations
under-represented in the construction industry in the lead removal and replacement work.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Reporting. new text end

new text begin By August 1 each year, the authority must report to the chairs and
ranking minority members of the legislative committees and divisions with jurisdiction over
environment and natural resources policy and finance on the operation of the program during
the previous fiscal year.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 8. new text end

new text begin Prevailing wage. new text end

new text begin Laborers and mechanics performing work on a project funded
by this grant program, including removal and replacement of lead drinking water service
lines and installation of replacement drinking water service lines, must be paid the prevailing
wage rate for the work as defined in section 177.42, subdivision 6. The project is subject
to the requirements and enforcement provisions of sections 177.30 and 177.41 to 177.45.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 9. new text end

new text begin General fund appropriation. new text end

new text begin $30,000,000 in fiscal year 2023 through fiscal
year 2032 is appropriated from the general fund to the authority for grants under the program
established under this section. This subdivision expires June 30, 2032.
new text end

Sec. 2.

new text begin [446A.078] LEAD LINE REMOVAL GOAL.
new text end

new text begin It shall be the goal of the state of Minnesota to remove all lead service lines in public
drinking water systems by 2032.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin LEAD SERVICE LINE MAPPING GRANT.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Establishment. new text end

new text begin The Department of Health shall establish a grant program
to provide financial assistance to municipalities for producing an inventory of publicly and
privately owned lead service lines within their jurisdiction.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Eligible uses. new text end

new text begin A municipality may use funding under this program for:
new text end

new text begin (1) the surveying of households to determine the material of their water service line;
new text end

new text begin (2) the creation of publicly available databases or visualizations of lead service lines;
and
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new text begin (3) compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency's Lead and Copper Rule lead
service line inventory requirements.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Appropriation. new text end

new text begin $5,000,000 in fiscal year 2023 is appropriated from the general
fund to the commissioner of health for grants under this section. The base for this
appropriation in the biennium in fiscal years 2024 and 2025 is $5,000,000.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2022.
new text end