SB 790 — Requiring quarterly reporting by certain water and wastewater utilities

WESTSB790 VIRGINIASFA LEGISLATURERucker REGULAR#1 SESSION3-28Fletcher Engrossed 7835 Senator CommitteeRucker Substitutemoved for Senate Bill 790 BYSENATORMAYNARD [Reported March 27, 2025, from the Committee on Government Organization] CS for SB 790 A BILL to amend the Codebill of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by addingstriking fourout neweverything sections,after designatedthe §8-19-1a,enacting §8-20-1d,clause §16-13-18b, and 16-13A-1d,inserting relatingin tolieu requiringthereof quarterly reporting by water and wastewater utilities that are political subdivisions of the statefollowing: to their governing bodies;

and requiring annual continuing education for board members and senior management.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

Municipality or countyCounty commissionCommission to requireRequire reportingReporting and training.Training.

Proper oversight by governing bodies and board member training are necessary to ensure financial accountability, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency.efficiency.(b) Any municipal governing body that is operating or has oversight of a waterworks system shall require that waterworks system to provide quarterly operational and financial reports to the governing body of the municipality.(c)  Any county commission with oversight of a waterworks system shall require that waterworks system to provide quarterly operational and financial reports to the county commission.

(b) (d) Continuing Education – Any municipal governing body or county commission that is operating or has oversight of a waterworks system shall require thatall board members and senior managers of the municipal or county waterworks system to providecomplete quarterlyat operationalleast andsix financialhours reportsof tocontinuing theeducation governingannually, bodyfocusing ofon thefinancial municipality.management, regulatory compliance, and operational best practices.

(c)ARTICLE Any20. county commission with oversight of a waterworks system shall require that waterworks system to provide quarterly operational and financial reports to the county commission.

(d) Continuing education.

— Any municipal governing body or county commission that is operating or has oversight of a waterworks system shall require all board members and senior managers of the municipal or county waterworks system to complete at least six hours of continuing education annually, focusing on financial management, regulatory compliance, and operational best practices.

CS for SB 790 ARTICLE 20.

  §8-20-1d.

Municipality to requireRequire reportingReporting and training.Training.

Proper oversight by governing bodies and board member training are necessary to ensure financial accountability, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency.efficiency.(b) Any municipal governing body that is operating or that has oversight of a combined waterworks and sewerage system shall require the combined municipal waterworks and sewerage system to provide quarterly operational and financial reports to the governing body of the municipality.

(b) (c) Continuing Education – Any municipal governing body that is operating or that has oversight of a combined waterworks and sewerage system shall require theall combined municipal waterworks and sewerage systemsystems toboard providemembers quarterly operational and financialsenior reportsmanagement to thecomplete governingat bodyleast six hours of thecontinuing municipality.education annually, focusing on financial management, regulatory compliance, and operational best practices.

(c)Chapter Continuing16. education.

—Public AnyHealth. municipal governing body that is operating or has oversight of a combined waterworks and sewerage system shall require all combined municipal waterworks and sewerage systems board members and senior management to complete at least six hours of continuing education annually, focusing on financial management, regulatory compliance, and operational best practices.

CHAPTER  16.ARTICLE 13.

PUBLIC HEALTH.

ARTICLE 13.

Municipality to requireRequire reportingReporting and training.Training.

(a) (a) The Legislature finds that municipal sanitary boards provide critical wastewater utility services and may also provide stormwater service to West Virginians.

Proper oversight by governing bodies and board member training are necessary to ensure financial accountability, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency.efficiency.(b) Any municipal governing body that is operating or that has oversight of a sewage or stormwater system supervised and controlled by a municipal sanitary board shall require the sanitary board to provide quarterly operational and financial reports to the governing body of the municipality.

(b) (c) AnyContinuing Education – A municipal governing body thatshall isrequire operatingall or that has oversight of a sewage or stormwater system supervised and controlled by a municipal sanitary board shallmembers requireand thesenior CSmanagement forto SBcomplete 790at sanitaryleast boardsix tohours provideof quarterlycontinuing operationaleducation andannually, financialfocusing reportson tofinancial themanagement, governingregulatory bodycompliance, ofand theoperational municipality.best practices.

(c)Chapter Continuing16. education.

—Public AHealth. municipal governing body shall require all municipal sanitary board members and senior management to complete at least six hours of continuing education annually, focusing on financial management, regulatory compliance, and operational best practices.

PUBLIC PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICTS.

§16-13A-1d.16-13A-1d.

County commissionCommission to requireRequire reportingReporting and training.Training.

(a) (a) The Legislature finds that public service districts provide critical utility services to West Virginians, including water, sewer, and gas.

Proper oversight by governing bodies and board member training are necessary to ensure financial accountability, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency.efficiency.(b) Any county commission that has created or established public service districts whose principal offices are within the county shall require every such public service district utility to provide quarterly operational and financial reports to the county commission.(c) Continuing Education – Every county commission shall require all board members and senior managers of any public service district whose principal offices are within the county to complete at least six hours of continuing education annually, focusing on financial management, regulatory compliance, and operational best practices.  AdoptedRejected

(b) Any county commission that has created or established public service districts whose principal offices are within the county shall require every such public service district utility to provide quarterly operational and financial reports to the county commission.

(c) Continuing education.

— Every county commission shall require all board members and senior managers of any public service district whose principal offices are within the county to complete at least six hours of continuing education annually, focusing on financial management, regulatory compliance, and operational best practices.