I
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3778
To provide for direct billing for water and sanitary sewer furnished to Federal
agencies by the District of Columbia, and direct payment by those
agencies to the District of Columbia.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 14, 2002
Mrs. MORELLA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Government Reform
A BILL
To provide for direct billing for water and sanitary sewer
furnished to Federal agencies by the District of Colum-
bia, and direct payment by those agencies to the District
of Columbia.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Federal Government
Water and Sanitary Sewer Billing and Collection Improve-
ment Act of 2002’’.
SEC. 2. DIRECT BILLING FOR WATER AND SEWER SERVICES
FURNISHED TO FEDERAL AGENCIES.
(a) WATER SERVICES.—Section 106(b) of the Dis-
trict of Columbia Public Works Act of 1954 (sec. 34–
2401.25(b), D.C. Official Code) is amended to read as fol-
lows:
‘‘(b)(1) Beginning with payments due October 1,
2002, the District of Columbia (District) shall bill directly
any Department, agency or independent establishment of
the United States Government (user agency) for water
services furnished to such user agency.
‘‘(2) In accordance with the procedures of paragraph
(3) of this subsection, on the first day of each fiscal quar-
ter, each user agency shall pay directly to the District,
from funds specifically appropriated or otherwise available
to it, one-fourth (25 percent) of the annual estimate pre-
pared by the District. User agencies shall pay the District
without further justification.
‘‘(3) By April 15 of each calendar year, the District
shall provide each user agency, for inclusion in the Presi-
dent’s budget of the user agency, an estimate of the cost
of service for such user agency for the fiscal year com-
mencing October 1st of the following calendar year. The
District shall provide the Office of Management and
Budget with copies of all estimates provided to user agen-
cies. The estimate shall provide the total estimated annual
cost of such service and an itemized estimate of such costs
for the user agency. The District’s estimates on a yearly
basis shall reflect such adjustments as are necessary to—
‘‘(A) account for actual usage variances from
the estimated amounts for the fiscal year ending
September 30th of the calendar year preceding April
15th; and
‘‘(B) reflect changes in rates charged for water
and sewer services resulting from public laws or rate
covenants pursuant to water and sewer revenue bond
sales.
The District shall also provide procedures to ensure reso-
lution of billing disputes between the District and user
agencies.
‘‘(4) The amount or time period for late payment of
water charges involving a building, establishment, or other
place owned by the Federal Government imposed by the
District shall not be different from those imposed by the
District on its most favored customer.
‘‘(5) Not later than the 15th day of the month fol-
lowing each quarter, the inspector general of each Federal
department, establishment, or agency receiving water serv-
ices from the District shall submit a report to the Commit-
tees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives
and the Senate analyzing the promptness of payment with
respect to the services furnished to such department, es-
tablishment, or agency.
‘‘(6) The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized and
directed to transfer, from funds available to a user agency,
to the United States Treasury account entitled ‘Federal
Payment for Water and Sewer Services,’ the amount nec-
essary to cover any amounts owed by the user agency for
services rendered by the District prior to October 1, 2002.
The Secretary of the Treasury shall pay to the District,
from these transferred funds, any amounts owed to the
District for Services rendered by the District to the user
agency prior to October 1, 2002.
‘‘(7) For services rendered to buildings leased or
managed by the General Services Administration (GSA),
the term ‘user agency’ as used in this subsection shall
refer to GSA.’’.
(b) SANITARY SEWER SERVICES.—Section 212(b) of
such Act (sec. 34–2112(b), D.C. Official Code) is amended
to read as follows:
‘‘(b)(1) Beginning with payments due October 1,
2002, the District of Columbia (District) shall bill directly
any Department, agency or independent establishment of
the United States Government (user agency) for sanitary
sewer services furnished to such user agency.
‘‘(2) In accordance with the procedures of paragraph
(3) of this subsection, on the first day of each fiscal quar-
ter, each user agency shall pay directly to the District,
from funds specifically appropriated or otherwise available
to it, one-fourth (25 percent) of the annual estimate pre-
pared by the District. User agencies shall pay the District
without further justification.
‘‘(3) By April 15 of each calendar year, the District
shall provide each user agency, for inclusion in the Presi-
dent’s budget of the user agency, an estimate of the cost
of service for such user agency for the fiscal year com-
mencing October 1st of the following calendar year. The
District shall provide the Office of Management and
Budget with copies of all estimates provided to user agen-
cies. The estimate shall provide the total estimated annual
cost of such service and an itemized estimate of such costs
for the user agency. The District’s estimates on a yearly
basis shall reflect such adjustments as are necessary to—
‘‘(A) account for actual usage variances from
the estimated amounts for the fiscal year ending
September 30th of the calendar year preceding April
15th; and
‘‘(B) reflect changes in rates charged for water
and sewer services resulting from public laws or rate
covenants pursuant to water and sewer revenue bond
sales.
The District shall also provide procedures to ensure reso-
lution of billing disputes between the District and user
agencies.
‘‘(4) The amount or time period for late payment of
sanitary sewer charges involving a building, establishment,
or other place owned by the Federal Government imposed
by the District shall not be different from those imposed
by the District on its most favored customer.
‘‘(5) Not later than the 15th day of the month fol-
lowing each quarter, the inspector general of each Federal
department, establishment, or agency receiving sanitary
sewer services from the District shall submit a report to
the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Senate analyzing the promptness of
payment with respect to the services furnished to such de-
partment, establishment, or agency.
‘‘(6) The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized and
directed to transfer, from funds available to a user agency,
to the United States Treasury account entitled ‘Federal
Payment for Water and Sewer Services’, the amount nec-
essary to cover any amounts owed by the user agency for
services rendered by the District prior to October 1, 2002.
The Secretary of the Treasury shall pay to the District,