Help us show support for a national moratorium on water and utility shutoffs!!
Thanks to public pressure from people across the country, the US House has proposed legislation calling for a national moratorium on essential utilities, including water and sanitation, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sections 199991 and 199992 of the proposed House bill, released on March 23rd, require states and utilities to “adopt or maintain in force policies to prevent the shutoff of electricity, home heating and cooling, and drinking and wastewater services to residential customers during the COVID-19 public health emergency” and to provide “financial assistance to low income and other adversely affected consumers to assist with payments for drinking water and wastewater expenses by authorizing $1.5 billion for grants to states, territories and Indian Tribes.“ We need to show public support for the House Bill so that Senate Democrats will push for its inclusion in the final stimulus package. PLEASE CALL AND TWEET at Speaker Pelosi, Minority Leader Schumer, and Senators Durbin and Wyden. Sample tweets and call scripts can be found here. Congressional contact info: Senator Schumer: DC Number: 202-224-6542 Twitter: @SenSchumer Senator Durbin: DC Number: 202-224-2854 Twitter: @SenatorDurbin Senator Wyden: DC Number: 202-224-5244 Twitter: @RonWyden Representative Pelosi DC Number: 202-225-4965 Twitter: @SpeakerPelosi
Administration Asks NJ Water Companies Not to Shut Off Service If Bills Go Unpaid
“The Murphy administration yesterday asked all water providers in New Jersey to suspend shutoffs for nonpayment of bills until the end of the public health emergency created by the spread of COVID-19. The plea is directed at every water system, public and private, including those operated by municipal governments. They’re all being asked to stop shutoffs until the end of the outbreak of COVID-19 by Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Catherine McCabe and Board of Public Utilities president Joseph Fiordaliso.” more at https://www.njspotlight.com/2020/03/administration-asks-nj-water-companies-not-to-shut-off-service-if-bills-go-unpaid/