State lawmakers with the conservative National Action Party introduced a bill that seeks to stop state officials from incurring into persecutions, threats and extortion while charging due water fees.

The state lawmakers said lawsuits filed by business owners who were charged due water fees might cause the state to lose about 1.2 billion pesos or about $60 million.

The proposal includes provisions to stop the state from closing a company after an audit finds due fees, but keeps those provisions to suspend water services for three months.

The bill also seeks to reduce from ten to five years the charge of owed water fees.

Last year, then Governor Jaime Bonilla hired a company to audit water services that held the state collect 1.2 billion pesos. The audits prompted the filing of lawsuits against the state by those businesses affected.