2025 -- S 0086

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LC000181

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- TERMINATION OF SERVICE TO

PERSONS WHO ARE DISABLED, SERIOUSLY ILL, OR IN ARREARS OF PAYMENT

     Introduced By: Senators Kallman, Lauria, Sosnowski, Britto, Murray, Mack, Vargas,
Quezada, Thompson, and Urso

     Date Introduced: January 31, 2025

     Referred To: Senate Commerce

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 39-1.1-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 39-1.1 entitled "Termination

of Service to Persons Who Are Disabled, Seriously Ill, or in Arrears of Payment" is hereby amended

to read as follows:

     39-1.1-2. Determination of persons subject to nontermination.

     (a) The commission shall promulgate appropriate rules and regulations to determine which

persons who are elderly, disabled, or seriously ill are subject to the nontermination provisions of §

39-1.1-1, and in what manner relief will be made available to the subject persons.

     (b) Rules and regulations maintained to determine which persons are seriously ill shall

include the provision that said determination shall be through certification to the public utility or to

the division of public utilities and carriers by a licensed physician.

     (1) A licensed physician’s certification of serious illness shall be sufficient if initially made

by telephone. In such event, the public utility or the division, whichever received initial

certification, shall inform the certifying physician that he or she must forward to the public utility

within seven (7) days a written certification indicating the name and address of the seriously ill

person, the nature of the illness, and its likely duration. The public utility shall acknowledge receipt

of such written certification and shall notify the customer in writing of the date upon which service

will be terminated, unless the customer: (i) Has arranged for payment of an outstanding amount

with the public utility, pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the commission; (ii)

Requests a hearing, pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the commission; or (iii)

Enrolls in a residential payment plan or other payment arrangement. The termination date shall be

not less than the last day of the period specified by the physician as the duration of the illness. If

the physician has failed to specify the length of the illness, or if the physician has indicated that the

length of the illness is not readily a ascertainable, then the termination date shall be not less than

three (3) weeks months from receipt by the public utility of the written certification. If the duration

of the illness exceeds three (3) weeks from the certification to the public utility, the termination

date the customer may request a review pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the

commission, to determine whether the initial exemption shall continue, for how long, and under

what circumstances.

     (2) A public utility must honor a licensed physician’s certification of serious illness, but

may seek division review of the validity of the certification, pursuant to rules and regulations

promulgated by the commission. If a licensed physician’s certification does not comply with the

requirements promulgated by the commission and is rejected by a public utility, the public utility

shall inform the customer immediately, in writing, of the reasons for rejection of the certification

and the customer’s right to have the division review the utility’s rejection of the certification.

     (3) Nontermination for any reason does not, in any way, relieve the customer of liability

incurred for utility services.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- TERMINATION OF SERVICE TO

PERSONS WHO ARE DISABLED, SERIOUSLY ILL, OR IN ARREARS OF PAYMENT

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     This act would extend the forbearance of utility terminations for customers with serious

illness certifications and would amend various provisions related to the termination of utility

services for persons who are disabled, seriously ill, or in arrears.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC000181

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