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through a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants 1 that will result in improved groundwater and stormwater quality, 2 improved air quality, and reductions in noise pollution. 3 (((199))) (197) $100,000,000 of the coronavirus state fiscal 4 recovery fund—federal appropriation is provided solely for grants for 5 public and private water, sewer, garbage, electric, and natural gas 6 utilities to address low-income customer arrearages compounded by the 7 COVID-19 pandemic and the related economic downturn that were accrued 8 between March 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021. 9 (a) By May 27, 2022, each utility that wishes to participate, 10 must opt-in to the grant program by providing the department the 11 following information: 12 (i) Current arrearage balances for residential customers as of 13 March 31, 2022; and 14 (ii) Available information on arrearage balances of low-income 15 customers, including customers who received assistance from the low- 16 income home energy assistance program, low-income water assistance 17 program, or ratepayer-funded assistance programs between April 1, 18 2020, and March 31, 2022, as of March 31, 2022. If a utility does not 19 have access to information regarding customer participation in these 20 programs, the department must distribute funding to the community 21 action program serving the same service area as the utility instead 22 of the utility. 23 (b) In determining the amount of funding each utility may 24 receive, the department must consider: 25 (i) Each participating utility's proportion of the aggregate 26 amount of arrearages among all participating utilities; 27 (ii) Utility service areas that are situated in locations 28 experiencing disproportionate environmental health disparities; 29 (iii) American community survey poverty data; and 30 (iv) Whether the utility has leveraged other fund sources to 31 reduce customer arrearages. 32 (c) The department may retain up to one percent of the funding 33 provided in this subsection to administer the program. 34 (d) Each utility shall disburse funds directly to customer 35 accounts ((by December 31, 2022)). Funding shall only be distributed 36 to customers that have participated in the low-income home energy 37 assistance program, low-income water assistance program, or 38 ratepayer-funded assistance programs. 39 p. 827 ESSB 5187.SL