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HF 3186

Public water supplies and publicly owned treatment works required to annually report on water access policies.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Rick Hansen and 1 co-sponsor

Public water systems and wastewater facilities must annually report on their water access policies and related metrics to improve transparency and accountability.

Introduction and first reading, referred to Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy
#environment #water #waterresources #andwaterways
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Bill Summary · HF 3186

Summary of HF 3186 (2025-2026) – Minnesota

Overview

HF 3186 requires public water systems (PWS) and publicly owned treatment works (POTW) to annually report on water access policies. The bill aims to increase transparency around how communities address water access, with a focus on ensuring reliable and equitable access to safe drinking water and wastewater services.

  • Session: 2025-2026
  • Jurisdiction: Minnesota
  • Bottom line: Annual reporting requirement for public water supplies and wastewater treatment facilities on water access policies and related metrics.
  • Introduced / First Reading: April 10, 2025
  • Primary/Sponsorship:
    • Co-sponsors: Rick Hansen, Fue Lee
    • Referred to: Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy

Purpose and Intent

The bill seeks to improve accountability and public information regarding how water access issues are addressed by public water systems and treatment works. By mandating annual reporting, the measure intends to:

  • Document policy approaches that ensure safe, affordable, and timely access to drinking water and wastewater services.
  • Provide policymakers, communities, and stakeholders with data to evaluate performance and identify gaps.
  • Promote consistency in reporting across public water systems and POTWs.

Key Provisions (as implied by title and summary)

Note: The bill text is not provided here, but the title and context indicate the following core elements:

  • Annual Report Requirement: PWSs and POTWs must prepare and submit an annual report on their water access policies. This would likely include:

    • Descriptions of policies aimed at ensuring access to water services.
    • Information on service coverage, customer eligibility, and any programs to reduce service gaps.
    • Metrics related to access, reliability, affordability, and response to outages or contamination events.
    • Steps taken to address disparities in access among communities or demographics.

  • Scope of Entities Covered:

    • Public water systems (PWS) are systems that provide drinking water to the public (municipal systems, cooperatives, and other publicly owned suppliers).
    • Publicly owned treatment works (POTW) are municipal or publicly owned facilities that treat and discharge wastewater.

  • Policy Focus Areas (likely components):

    • Access to safe drinking water (availability, pressure, continuity).
    • Affordability measures or rate structures to ensure continued service for low-income customers.
    • Reliability and resilience planning (outage response, infrastructure investment, contamination response).
    • Equity considerations (ensuring historically underserved communities have access to services).

  • Reporting Timeline and Submission:

    • An annual deadline set by the appropriate state agency (likely the Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy committee’s scope or the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency or a similar agency) for submitting reports.
    • Potential requirements for format, data definitions, and data quality standards to ensure comparability.

  • Public Access to Data: The bill may include provisions to make submitted reports publicly accessible or available to the public upon request, promoting transparency.

Who Would Be Affected

  • Public Water Systems (PWS): Municipal water suppliers, special districts, and utilities that provide drinking water to the public.
  • Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW): Municipal wastewater treatment facilities and other publicly owned infrastructure that treats and discharges wastewater.
  • State Agencies: State environmental or public health agencies responsible for collecting, reviewing, and potentially publishing the annual reports (e.g., Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency).

Procedural and Timeline Considerations

  • Intro and Referral: The bill was introduced and referred to the Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy committee on April 10, 2025.
  • Next Steps: Committee analysis, possible amendments, and eventual floor votes in the Minnesota Legislature. If passed, the governor would sign into law (or veto) with a future effective date determined by the statute.

Potential Impacts and Implications

  • Transparency: Increases visibility into how water access is managed and funded across communities.
  • Accountability: Provides a mechanism to monitor progress on access, reliability, and affordability.
  • Data-Driven Decisions: Supplies policymakers with standardized data to guide investments and policy adjustments.
  • Equity Considerations: May illuminate disparities in access and inform targeted improvements.

If you would like, I can tailor this summary to include hypothetical sample report sections, or compare HF 3186 to similar reporting requirements in other states.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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