This bill, the "Stop Shut-Offs During Shutdowns Act," says Congress should act to stop electric and natural gas utilities from shutting off service during certain government funding lapses. It says that during any lapse in interim continuing appropriations or full-year appropriations for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), state regulators and utilities should ensure: no service is ended for inability to pay; utilities make reasonable efforts to safely reconnect customers who lost service; customers are not charged for reconnection; late fees and penalties are waived; and no increases in cost-of-service for customers. The bill also changes an existing federal electric utility rule (section 115(g) of PURPA) to add a requirement that electric service may not be terminated during periods when HHS appropriations are not in effect. The bill adds a rule about costs: utilities may not retroactively charge the customers who would have been shut off, but a state regulatory authority may allow an alternative cost-recovery method if the costs are substantial, prudently incurred, and cannot be recovered through rates, market prices, or supplemental funding.
If this bill becomes law as written: during a lapse in HHS appropriations, electric and natural gas customers should not be cut off for not paying. Utilities should try to reconnect customers safely, and reconnection charges, late fees, and other penalties should be waived. These protections are tied to lapses in HHS funding, and some details (like how reconnect efforts are carried out or how costs are handled) are left to state regulators and utilities.
No publicly available information on estimated federal costs or budgetary effects is provided in the bill text. The bill says costs that utilities incur to comply cannot be retroactively billed to the customers who would otherwise have been shut off. A State regulatory authority, after notice and comment, may adopt an alternate way for a utility to recover costs only if it finds the costs are substantial, prudently incurred, and cannot be recovered through regulated rates, market prices, or supplemental funding.
The bill expresses a congressional view that a nationwide moratorium on utility shut-offs is needed during HHS funding lapses to protect consumers. It aims to keep people connected to electricity and natural gas, avoid reconnection fees, waive penalties, and prevent increases in customer cost-of-service during such shutdowns.
No publicly available information on opponents' views is included in the bill text or metadata.