S2013
Public Utilities and Carriers -- Termination of Service to Persons Who Are Disabled, Seriously Ill, or in Arrears of Payment
Extends utility shutoff protection from three weeks to three months for seriously ill patients with undefined recovery times.
Introduced
01/09/2026
Government: Public Services
Bill Sponsors
Kallman, Britto, Sosnowski, Urso, Bissaillon, Acosta, Mack, Gu, Lauria, and Vargas
Committee
Senate Commerce
Summary
Select
This legislation amends existing public utility laws regarding service termination for individuals who are seriously ill. Specifically, it changes the timeframe for which utility service is protected from shutoff when a physician certifies a serious illness but does not specify a recovery date or states that the duration is not ascertainable. Previously, the protection period in these indefinite cases was three weeks. This bill extends that protection period to three months, granting seriously ill patients a longer window of guaranteed utility service while they manage their health condition.
Sponsor
Analysis
Pros for Progressives
- Significantly extends the safety net for seriously ill individuals by increasing the moratorium on utility shutoffs from three weeks to three months when the prognosis is unclear, protecting vulnerable residents from losing essential services.
- Prioritizes public health and human dignity over corporate collections by ensuring that patients with indefinite recovery timelines are not immediately threatened with the loss of heat or electricity.
- Reduces the administrative burden and stress on sick individuals and their families by providing a longer window of stability before they must seek a review or extension of their utility protection.
Cons for Progressives
- Does not forgive the underlying debt incurred during the protection period, meaning low-income patients will still face a significant financial burden and potential shutoff once the three-month period expires.
- Relies heavily on the administrative action of private physicians to certify illness, which may disadvantage poor communities with limited access to consistent primary care or doctors willing to navigate utility paperwork.
- Fails to implement a permanent ban on utility terminations for the seriously ill or disabled, merely postponing the potential loss of life-sustaining services rather than eliminating the threat entirely.
Pros for Conservatives
- Retains the requirement that customers remain liable for all utility costs incurred, upholding the principle of personal financial responsibility rather than creating a free government handout.
- Protects the most vulnerable citizens during times of medical crisis, aligning with traditional values of compassionate care for the infirm without creating a permanent entitlement program.
- Maintains a verification process requiring a licensed physician's certification, preventing potential abuse of the system by individuals who are not genuinely suffering from a serious illness.
Cons for Conservatives
- Interferes with the free market operations of utility companies by mandating a longer period during which they must provide services without payment, potentially negatively impacting their cash flow and bottom line.
- Likely results in higher rates for responsible, paying customers, as utility companies will inevitably pass the costs of carrying non-paying accounts for three months onto the general ratepayer base.
- Expands government regulation over private business contracts by dictating terms of service and preventing disconnection for an extended quarter-year period based on a third party's (physician) assessment.
Constitutional Concerns
None Likely
Impact Overview
Groups Affected
- Seriously ill residents
- Public utility companies
- Licensed physicians
- Low-income households
- Utility ratepayers
Towns Affected
All
Cost to Taxpayers
None
Revenue Generated
None
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Bill Status
Current Status
Held
Comm Passed
Floor Passed
Law
History
• 01/09/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Commerce
Bill Text
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 benot 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 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.
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
(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.