MS HB359

Municipalities with a population of 150,000 or more (as of the most recent decennial census) may establish a program to address disputed or delinquent water and sewer customer accounts, subject to approval by the mayor, Municipal Director of Public Works, and Executive Director of the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff by July 1, 2021.

Municipalities may compromise doubtful claims for municipal utility errors (equipment failure, process failure, billing failure) or errors caused by unforeseen circumstances (damage, extreme weather, declared disasters) where customers did not receive service benefits.

For uncollectible customer debts based on inability to pay, municipalities may offer installment payment agreements requiring some customer payment, with remaining balances moved to a special accounting category for uncollectible accounts if the customer fulfills the plan terms.

Utilities participating in the program must report by January 1, 2022 to state officials detailing revenue collection, number of uncollectable accounts, installment plan participation, overdue accounts, and the program's impact on revenue, plus plans to prevent future billing failures.

The Executive Director of the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff may contract professional services (reimbursed by the utility, not to exceed $200,000) to implement the program, which automatically repeals on July 1, 2022.