Senate
File
135
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
135
BY
EDLER
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
landlord
notification
of
delinquency
notices
1
sent
by
utilities
and
landlords’
ability
to
use
security
2
deposits
to
satisfy
delinquent
utility
accounts.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
TLSB
1943XS
(5)
89
cm/jh
S.F.
135
Section
1.
Section
384.84,
subsection
3,
paragraph
a,
Code
1
2021,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
2
a.
A
city
utility
or
enterprise
service
to
a
property
or
3
premises,
including
services
of
sewer
systems,
storm
water
4
drainage
systems,
sewage
treatment,
solid
waste
collection,
5
water,
solid
waste
disposal,
or
any
of
these
services,
may
be
6
discontinued
or
disconnected
if
the
account
for
the
service
7
becomes
delinquent.
Gas
or
electric
service
provided
by
a
city
8
utility
or
enterprise
shall
be
discontinued
or
disconnected
9
only
as
provided
by
section
476.20,
subsections
1
through
10
4,
and
discontinuance
or
disconnection
of
those
services
11
is
subject
to
rules
adopted
by
the
utilities
board
of
the
12
department
of
commerce.
Section
476.20,
subsection
3A,
applies
13
to
city
utilities
and
enterprise
services.
14
Sec.
2.
Section
476.1B,
subsection
1,
Code
2021,
is
amended
15
by
adding
the
following
new
paragraph:
16
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
m.
Enforcement
of
section
476.20,
subsection
17
3A.
18
Sec.
3.
Section
476.20,
Code
2021,
is
amended
by
adding
the
19
following
new
subsection:
20
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
3A.
If
the
customer
is
a
tenant,
and
if
21
the
owner
or
landlord
of
the
property
or
premises
has
made
22
a
written
request
for
notice
to
the
utility,
the
notice
of
23
delinquency
for
nonpayment
of
account
sent
to
the
customer
24
shall
also
be
sent
to
the
owner
or
landlord,
or
the
designee
25
of
the
owner
or
landlord.
The
notice
shall
be
sent
to
the
26
appropriate
persons
by
ordinary
mail
not
less
than
thirty
days
27
after
the
notice
of
delinquency
is
sent
to
the
customer.
28
Sec.
4.
Section
562A.12,
subsection
3,
paragraph
a,
Code
29
2021,
is
amended
by
adding
the
following
new
subparagraph:
30
NEW
SUBPARAGRAPH
.
(4)
To
satisfy
debts
for
a
tenant’s
31
delinquent
utility
account.
32
EXPLANATION
33
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
34
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
35
-1-
LSB
1943XS
(5)
89
cm/jh
1/
2
S.F.
135
This
bill
provides
that
if
a
customer
of
a
public
utility
1
is
a
tenant,
and
if
the
owner
or
landlord
of
the
property
or
2
premises
has
made
a
written
request
for
notice
to
the
public
3
utility,
the
notice
of
delinquency
for
nonpayment
of
account
4
sent
to
the
customer
shall
also
be
sent
to
the
landlord,
the
5
owner,
or
the
designee
of
the
owner
or
landlord.
The
notice
6
shall
be
sent
to
the
landlord,
owner,
or
designee
within
30
7
days
after
the
notice
of
delinquency
is
sent
to
the
customer.
8
The
bill
applies
to
public
utilities
as
defined
in
Code
9
section
476.1
that
furnish
gas
by
piped
distribution
system
10
or
electricity
to
the
public
for
compensation,
water
by
piped
11
distribution
system
to
the
public
for
compensation,
or
sanitary
12
sewage
or
storm
water
drainage
disposal
by
piped
collection
13
system
to
the
public
for
compensation.
14
The
bill
also
applies
to
electric
public
utilities
having
15
fewer
than
10,000
customers,
municipally
owned
utilities
16
furnishing
gas
or
electricity,
gas
public
utilities
having
17
fewer
than
2,000
customers,
and
city
utilities
or
enterprise
18
services.
19
The
bill
provides
that
the
landlord
may
withhold
from
20
security
deposit
amounts
as
reasonably
necessary
to
pay
for
21
delinquent
utility
accounts
the
tenant
was
responsible
to
pay
22
during
the
tenancy.
23
-2-
LSB
1943XS
(5)
89
cm/jh
2/
2