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S 2013Public Services

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.

Held for study
Population
Affected
15
Email Legislator
Introduced Jan 9, 2026Committee Senate Commerce

Plain-English Summary

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.

For younger readers

Sometimes people get very sick and need a doctor's note to keep their electricity or heat turned on while they recover. Before, if the doctor didn't say exactly when the person would get better, the rules said the utility company could only keep the power on for three weeks. This new bill changes that time to three months. This gives sick people more time to get better without worrying about their lights or heat being turned off because they haven't paid the bill yet.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Seriously ill residentsPublic utility companiesLicensed physiciansLow-income householdsUtility ratepayers
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
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.
  • 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.
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.
  • 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.

Votes

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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.