IDENTIFYING SENIOR UTILITY CUSTOMERS S.B. 533 (S-1):
FLOOR SUMMARY
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Senate Bill 533 (Substitute S-1 as reported by the Committee of the Whole)
Sponsor: Senator John J. Gleason
Committee: Energy Policy and Public Utilities
CONTENT
The bill would amend Public Act 3 of 1939, the Public Service Commission (PSC) law, to require a provider (a municipally owned electric or natural gas utility), in the ordinary course of business, to make efforts to identify senior citizen customers by at least one of the following methods:
-- Conducting customer interviews.
-- Obtaining information from a consumer reporting agency or consumer reporting service.
-- A personal or automated telephone call where direct contact was made with a member of the customer's household or a message was recorded on an answering machine or voice mail.
-- First-class mail.
-- A personal visit to the customer.
-- A written notice left at or on the customer's door.
-- A bill insert.
-- Any other method approved by the PSC for regulated utilities.
("Senior citizen" would mean a customer who is at least 65 years old.)
A provider would have to comply with the bill's requirements by November 1, 2009. For good cause, its governing body could grant an extension for compliance.
Proposed MCL 460.9o Legislative Analyst: Julie Cassidy
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.
Date Completed: 10-7-09 Fiscal Analyst: Elizabeth Pratt
Maria Tyszkiewicz
Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. sb533/0910