CA SB222

Establishes the Water Rate Assistance Fund in the State Treasury to provide water bill assistance to low-income residential ratepayers for both drinking water and wastewater services.

Requires a minimum of 80 percent of fund expenditures to be directly applied to residential ratepayer accounts, with administrative costs capped at 10 percent of average annual deposits starting 365 days after funding appropriation.

Mandates the State Water Resources Control Board adopt program guidelines within 270 days of appropriation, including automatic enrollment for households receiving CalWORKs, CalFresh, Medi-Cal, or enrolled in CARE and Family Electric Rate Assistance programs.

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish data-sharing mechanisms within 365 days so electrical and gas corporations can share customer eligibility information to identify low-income ratepayers for enrollment.

Makes the program contingent on annual appropriations and requires nontribal community water and wastewater systems to begin providing assistance within 450 days of funding appropriation.