20VAC5-330-30. General provisions.
A. A request for a waiver of any of the provisions of this chapter shall be considered by the State Corporation Commission on a case-by-case basis and may be granted upon such terms and conditions as the State Corporation Commission may impose.
B. An investor-owned electric utility, electric cooperative, natural gas utility, or public utility providing water or wastewater service shall use the Serious Medical Condition Certification Form (Form SMCC) provided in English and Spanish on the State Corporation Commission's website at https://www.scc.virginia.gov/regulated-industries/utility-regulation/pur-responsibilities/rules, unless the State Corporation Commission approves the use of an alternative form.
C. An investor-owned electric utility, electric cooperative, natural gas utility, or public utility providing water or wastewater service may require a customer to provide a new Serious Medical Condition Certification Form either annually or upon the expiration of the anticipated length of time that the serious medical condition will persist if such time is less than 12 months.
D. An investor-owned electric utility, electric cooperative, natural gas utility, or public utility providing water or wastewater service may take reasonable actions to verify the validity of the Serious Medical Condition Certification Form. Such actions include contacting (i) the licensed physician or licensed nurse practitioner to confirm the medical condition of the patient and the treatment associated with the medical condition; (ii) the Virginia Department of Health Professions, or the applicable state's licensing board, to verify that the physician or nurse practitioner is a licensed physician or licensed nurse practitioner; or (iii) the customer to verify that the patient currently resides at the residence.
E. In the event that the investor-owned electric utility, electric cooperative, natural gas utility, or public utility providing water or wastewater service is of the opinion that the information provided on the Serious Medical Condition Certification Form is invalid or otherwise is of the opinion that there has been fraud or abuse of the process provided in this chapter, it may petition the State Corporation Commission for redress pursuant to 5VAC5-20-100 B, State Corporation Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure.
Statutory Authority
Chapters 500, 662, and 673 of the 2011 Acts of Assembly; Chapter 637 of the 2024 Acts of Assembly.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 28, Issue 5, eff. October 31, 2011; amended, Virginia Register Volume 41, Issue 21, eff. July 1, 2025.