PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- TERMINATION OF SERVICE TO PERSONS WHO ARE DISABLED, SERIOUSLY ILL, OR IN ARREARS OF PAYMENT, the official text

S2013 2026 -- S 2013 ======== LC003688 ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ A N A C T RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- TERMINATION OF SERVICE TO PERSONS WHO ARE DISABLED, SERIOUSLY ILL, OR IN ARREARS OF PAYMENT Introduced By: Senators Kallman, Britto, Sosnowski, Urso, Bissaillon, Acosta, Mack, Gu, Lauria, and Vargas Date Introduced: January 09, 2026 Referred To: Senate Commerce It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: 1 SECTION 1. Section 39-1.1-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 39-1.1 entitled Termination 2 of Service to Persons Who Are Disabled, Seriously Ill, or in Arrears of Payment is hereby amended 3 to read as follows: 4 39-1.1-2. Determination of persons subject to nontermination. 5 (a) The commission shall promulgate appropriate rules and regulations to determine which 6 persons who are elderly, disabled, or seriously ill are subject to the nontermination provisions of § 7 39-1.1-1, and in what manner relief will be made available to the subject persons. 8 (b) Rules and regulations maintained to determine which persons are seriously ill shall 9 include the provision that said determination shall be through certification to the public utility or to 10 the division of public utilities and carriers by a licensed physician. 11 (1) A licensed physician’s certification of serious illness shall be sufficient if initially made 12 by telephone. In such event, the public utility or the division, whichever received initial 13 certification, shall inform the certifying physician that he or she must forward to the public utility 14 within seven (7) days a written certification indicating the name and address of the seriously ill 15 person, the nature of the illness, and its likely duration. The public utility shall acknowledge receipt 16 of such written certification and shall notify the customer in writing of the date upon which service 17 will be terminated, unless the customer: (i) Has arranged for payment of an outstanding amount 18 with the public utility, pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the commission; (ii) 1 Requests a hearing, pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the commission; or (iii) 2 Enrolls in a residential payment plan or other payment arrangement. The termination date shall be 3 not less than the last day of the period specified by the physician as the duration of the illness. If 4 the physician has failed to specify the length of the illness, or if the physician has indicated that the 5 length of the illness is not readily ascertainable, then the termination date shall be not less than 6 three (3) weeks months from receipt by the public utility of the written certification. If the duration 7 of the illness exceeds three (3) weeks from the certification to the public utility, the termination 8 date, the customer may request a review pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the 9 commission, to determine whether the initial exemption shall continue, for how long, and under 10 what circumstances. 11 (2) A public utility must honor a licensed physician’s certification of serious illness, but 12 may seek division review of the validity of the certification, pursuant to rules and regulations 13 promulgated by the commission. If a licensed physician’s certification does not comply with the 14 requirements promulgated by the commission and is rejected by a public utility, the public utility 15 shall inform the customer immediately, in writing, of the reasons for rejection of the certification 16 and the customer’s right to have the division review the utility’s rejection of the certification. 17 (3) Nontermination for any reason does not, in any way, relieve the customer of liability 18 incurred for utility services. 19 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. ======== LC003688 ======== LC003688 - Page 2 of 3 EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF A N A C T RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- TERMINATION OF SERVICE TO PERSONS WHO ARE DISABLED, SERIOUSLY ILL, OR IN ARREARS OF PAYMENT *** 1 This act would extend the forbearance of utility terminations for customers with serious 2 illness certifications and would amend various provisions related to the termination of utility 3 services for persons who are disabled, seriously ill, or in arrears. 4 This act would take effect upon passage. ======== LC003688 ======== LC003688 - Page 3 of 3