MUNICIPAL UTILITIES:  IDENTIFICATION

OF OLDER UTILITY CUSTOMERS

Senate Bill 533 as passed by the Senate

Sponsor:  Sen. John J. Gleason

House Committee:  Energy and Technology

Senate Committee:  Energy Policy and Public Utilities

Complete to 10-19-09

A SUMMARY OF SENATE BILL 533 AS PASSED THE SENATE 10-08-09

The bill would amend the Public Service Commission Law to require municipally-owned electric and natural gas providers to try to identify their senior citizen customers (customers aged 65 and older) in the ordinary course of business, using one or more of the following methods: (1) customer interviews; (2) information obtained from consumer reporting agencies or services; (3) personal or automated telephone calls in which direct contact is made with a member of a customer's household or a recorded message is left on an answering machine or voice mail; (4) first-class mail; (5) personal visits to customers; (6) written notices left at or on customers' doors; (7) bill inserts; or (8) any other method approved by the Public Service Commission. 

The municipally-owned utility would have to comply by November 1, 2009 unless its governing body granted an extension of this deadline for good cause.

[Note:  Senate Bill 533, as passed by the Senate, is identical to House Bill 4658, sponsored by Rep. Andy Neumann, as passed by the House on March 31, 2009.] 

MCL 460.9o

FISCAL IMPACT:

The bill would have no fiscal impact on the state or local units of government.

                                                                                           Legislative Analyst:   Shannan Kane

                                                                                                  Fiscal Analyst:   Mark Wolf

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.