January 22, 2009, Introduced by Rep. Bettie Scott and referred to the Committee on Energy and Technology.
A bill to amend 1939 PA 3, entitled
"An act to provide for the regulation and control of public and
certain private utilities and other services affected with a public
interest within this state; to provide for alternative energy
suppliers; to provide for licensing; to include municipally owned
utilities and other providers of energy under certain provisions of
this act; to create a public service commission and to prescribe
and define its powers and duties; to abolish the Michigan public
utilities commission and to confer the powers and duties vested by
law on the public service commission; to provide for the
continuance, transfer, and completion of certain matters and
proceedings; to abolish automatic adjustment clauses; to prohibit
certain rate increases without notice and hearing; to qualify
residential energy conservation programs permitted under state law
for certain federal exemption; to create a fund; to provide for a
restructuring of the manner in which energy is provided in this
state; to encourage the utilization of resource recovery
facilities; to prohibit certain acts and practices of providers of
energy; to allow for the securitization of stranded costs; to
reduce rates; to provide for appeals; to provide appropriations; to
declare the effect and purpose of this act; to prescribe remedies
and penalties; and to repeal acts and parts of acts,"
(MCL 460.1 to 460.10cc) by adding section 9d.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 9d. (1) A service provider shall not discontinue service
to a qualifying customer who has filed an application with a
service provider under this section. Upon application to a service
provider, a qualifying customer shall receive shut-off protection
from the service provider under this section for up to 21 days.
Upon application to the service provider, the service provider may
grant the qualifying customer 1 or more extensions.
(2) Unless waived by the service provider, the shut-off
protection provided under this section does not void or limit the
obligation of the qualifying customer to pay for electric or gas
services received during the time of assistance. A service provider
shall not charge a qualifying customer any late fees if that
customer receives shut-off protection under this section.
(3) Upon receiving an application from a qualifying customer,
a service provider shall do all of the following:
(a) Establish a repayment plan requiring minimum monthly
payments that allows the qualifying customer to pay any past due
amounts over a reasonable time period.
(b) Provide a qualifying customer with information regarding
any governmental, service provider, or other assistance programs.
(c) Provide qualifying customers with access to existing
information on ways to minimize or conserve their service usage.
(4) As used in this section:
(a) "Qualifying customer" means a customer or member of the
customer's household who demonstrates each of the following:
(i) The customer or member of the customer's household has a
serious medical condition which requires electric or gas service.
(ii) The customer or member of the customer's household has
provided verification of the serious medical condition to the
service provider.
(b) "Service provider" means a provider of electric or natural
gas service.