Skip to main content
H 7612Public Services

Public Utilities and Carriers - Termination of Service to Persons Who Are Disabled, Seriously Ill, or in Arrears of Payment

This bill extends the protection period against utility shut-offs for seriously ill customers from three weeks to three months.

Held for study
Population
Affected
8
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 11, 2026Committee House Corporations

Plain-English Summary

This legislation amends existing public utility laws regarding the termination of services for customers who are seriously ill. Currently, if a doctor certifies that a customer is seriously ill but does not specify the duration of the illness, the utility company cannot shut off service for three weeks. This bill extends that protection period to three months. It ensures that vulnerable individuals with indefinite or unverified illness durations have a longer grace period before facing utility service termination, provided they have submitted the necessary medical certification.

For younger readers

Sometimes, families have trouble paying their bills for electricity or water. Usually, the company can turn these services off if they aren't paid. However, there are rules to stop this if someone in the house is very sick. Right now, if a doctor tells the utility company a person is sick but doesn't say exactly when they will get better, the power stays on for three weeks. This new rule changes that time to three months. This gives the sick person much more time to get better without worrying about losing their heat or lights.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Public Utility CompaniesSeriously Ill ResidentsLow-Income HouseholdsLicensed PhysiciansUtility Ratepayers
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Significantly strengthens the social safety net by extending the protection period against utility shut-offs for the seriously ill from three weeks to three months, ensuring vulnerable populations are not left without essential services during health crises.
  • Prioritizes human health and well-being over corporate revenue collection, providing relief to low-income individuals who may struggle to navigate the healthcare system to get frequent recertifications.
  • Reduces the immediate administrative burden on sick individuals and their families, allowing them to focus on recovery rather than fighting with utility companies to keep the lights and heat on.
  • Does not forgive the debt incurred during the non-termination period, meaning struggling families will still face a large financial burden once the protection period expires.
  • Relying on physician certification acts as a barrier for those with poor access to healthcare or those who cannot afford a doctor's visit to obtain the necessary paperwork.
  • While it extends the time, it does not permanently solve the issue of utility affordability for the chronically ill or disabled, serving as a temporary stopgap rather than systemic reform.
For Conservatives
  • Maintains personal responsibility by explicitly stating that non-termination does not relieve the customer of liability for the cost of the utility services used.
  • Requires strict verification through a licensed physician's certification, ensuring that the benefit is reserved for those with legitimate medical needs rather than those simply refusing to pay.
  • Demonstrates a commitment to protecting the sanctity of life by ensuring that those who are physically vulnerable are not endangered by a loss of heat or electricity.
  • Interferes with the free market operations of private or quasi-private utility companies by dictating terms of service and delaying their ability to collect revenue or mitigate losses.
  • Extending the non-payment period to three months could result in higher costs that are ultimately passed down to other compliant, tax-paying ratepayers to cover the operational shortfall.
  • May encourage abuse of the system by allowing individuals to delay payment for a quarter of the year based on a single medical certification where the duration of illness is "not readily ascertainable."

Votes

Loading votes...

Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 7 additions · 3 deletions

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 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.