CHAPTER 637
An Act to require utilities and cooperatives to limit service termination for residential electric, gas, water, and wastewater utility customers with a serious medical condition; report.
[H 275]
Approved April 8, 2024
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. § 1. That the State Corporation Commission (the Commission), in order to promote public health and safety, shall conduct a proceeding for the purpose of establishing limitations on the authority of public utilities and cooperatives that provide electric, gas, water, or wastewater services to terminate service to the residence of any customer who provides the certification of a licensed physician or a nurse practitioner that the customer has a serious medical condition or the customer resides with a family member with a serious medical condition. The limitations shall be consistent with the public interest. In the proceeding establishing such limitations, the Commission shall consult with the Commissioner of Health, the Commissioner of Social Services, the Virginia Poverty Law Center, the Virginia League of Social Services Executives, public utilities and cooperatives that provide electric, gas, water, or wastewater services, and any other persons that the Commission deems appropriate. As a part of the proceeding, the Commission shall adopt regulations to implement such limitations. The regulations shall include a form by which a residential utility customer with a serious medical condition may apply for a delay in termination of service as provided by this act. The Commission shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure that this form is as accessible as possible for residential electric, gas, water, and wastewater utility customers. The regulations shall (i) be adopted in accordance with the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure; (ii) be effective not later than July 1, 2025; (iii) establish a cost recovery mechanism under which utilities and cooperatives that provide electric, gas, water, or wastewater services shall be authorized to recover, from approved rates collected from other customers or other sources of revenue, any losses on customer accounts the balance of which is written off or otherwise determined to be uncollectible as the result of the implementation of the regulations; and (iv) define "serious medical condition." No later than November 1, 2026, and every three years thereafter, the Commission shall submit a report to the General Assembly on the effectiveness of the serious medical condition policy after implementation and shall include any suggested changes to improve accessibility to such policy for residential utility customers.