The State Senate has passed Bill Thanks to bilateral support on Monday to reproduce the expired law, which provided protection for low -income Pennsylvanians who are not able to pay media bills.
The Act, known as Chapter 14, excluded private public utility companies from excluding services for clients who are behind their accounts in winter, between December 1 and 31, and set the deadlines for repayment payment plans based on income. The Act also provided other consumers’ security, such as the requirement of many notifications, before the company can disable electrical, gas or water services and enable criminals to obtain unwell leave to temporarily require companies to maintain their tools.
“Chapter 14 was adopted to create clear and feasible media guidelines, which they can provide to clients who needed them, clients who really tried to pay bills,” he said. Senator Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton), sponsor Bill.
However, supporters of the indigent Pennsylvania Say the law confined both ways. Initially, he was accepted with the support of public utility companies, which tried to collect unpaid bills.
Along with the consumer protection he provided, he largely deprived the public commission of public utility about its ability to create individualized payment plans for Pennsylvania with low income in the face of disconnecting public utility. They may go beyond the conditions specified in Chapter 14, which are from six months to five years, depending on the income of households. The Act also allowed public utility companies to require security deposits from customers who are lagging behind and charging fees for other debts.
Boscola said that the law “balanced the needs of the media and clients.”
For the first time in 2004, Chapter 14 required reconstruction by the legislator every 10 years. It expired in December last year after the Chamber and Senate controlled by the Democrat, controlled by the Republicans They were unable to agree on the changes in the law they wanted to make. However, the public utility committee voted in favor of maintaining protection until the legislator could receive a contract on how to recreate it.
Boscola said that before the adoption of Chapter 14, “too many customers who were able to pay otherwise, used a very loose process with PUC to avoid paying what is guilty … Both payers and tools suffered from this Slipshod process. “
When a public utility company is unable to collect the debts due, the cost is divided between their clients. Boscola said that in its district, in the PPL service territory, unpaid bills currently exceed $ 155 million, which costs an average household over USD 150 per year.
The version that the Senate has adopted today has largely left the previous right untouched, although it would extend the time frame for the findings of payments up to six years based on income, as well as the amount of time in which medical exemption may prevent a public company from cutting off a public utility company outside services. .
All 28 Republicans and most Democrats voted for the law. But seven democrats, mainly from the progressive wing of the party, voted against. The bill will also have to go through a house in which legislators closed a similar proposal last year in favor of their own, which would add even greater protection of customers.
Before voting before voting, Senate Katie Muth (D-Montgomery) praised some changes in Chapter 14 in the Boscola account, such as the extension of the time frame of the findings regarding payment and how long the unwell leave can grant relief from disconnection of utility. But she called her colleagues to add further protection, adding that many Pennsylvania struggle with the costs of food, medicine and other basic needs.
“This legislation does not go far enough to protect consumers, especially low-income Pennsylvanians,” Muth said on the floor. She noted that in 2024 over 352,000 households in Pennsylvania were cut off according to data from Pennsylvania Utility Law Project, which is an augment of 15% compared to the previous year.
She was in favor of incorporating the summer moratorium to cut off, in addition to the existing winter, due to the impact of excessive heat on health. She also proposed permission for more personalized payment plans and exclusion of public utility companies from collecting additional fines to customers who are lagging behind, such as re -connection fees for households that have already been turned off tools.
Dream. Sharif Street (D-Philadelphia), however, called on other democrats to accept the bill.
“I love the protection list my colleague recommended,” said Street about Muth’s recommendations. “However, this bill, although it may not solve all problems, is better than the current state of law.”
Street noticed that because the law expired in December, its previous security is only because the Public Utility commission voted for their maintenance. He said that the future public utility committee could also vote for their dismantling. Commission members are appointed by the governor.
“These safeguards last 10 years,” said Street. “It’s longer than any governor.”
