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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 909 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3972
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Mindy Domb
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act providing for utility shutoff protections during periods of extreme heat.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Mindy Domb3rd Hampshire1/14/2025Joanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester1/14/2025Natalie M. Blais1st Franklin3/26/2025 1 of 5
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 909 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3972
By Representative Domb of Amherst, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3972) of
Mindy Domb, Joanne M. Comerford and Natalie M. Blais relative to utility shutoff protections
during periods of extreme heat. Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act providing for utility shutoff protections during periods of extreme heat.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 25 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following
2section:-
3 Section 24. (a) Not less than annually, the department shall publish a report of the
4information collected pursuant to section 42A of chapter 40, section 58A of chapter 164, section
5124F of said chapter 164 and section 11F of chapter 165. The department shall make the report
6publicly available on its website.
7 (b) Annually, the department shall conduct a public information campaign to inform
8customers of shut-off protections for financial hardship during the summer months and available
9payment assistance programs. The department shall develop: (i) accessible, multi-lingual and
10easily comprehensible web-based educational materials; and (ii) a robust virtual and in-person
11statewide outreach program to educate low and moderate income communities on the protections
12available to them under section 42A of chapter 40, section 58A of chapter 164, section 124F of 2 of 5
13said chapter 164 and section 11F of chapter 165. Annually, the department shall collect and
14report data on its outreach efforts including: (1) outlets used to disseminate the required
15information; (2) the location, dates and number of attendees at in-person outreach events; (3) the
16languages used in written outreach materials; and (4) the amount of people who registered for
17arrearage management plans following the public outreach program. The department shall make
18these reports available to the public on its website.
19 SECTION 2. Section 42A of chapter 40 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
20Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-
21 No city, town or water district shall, between May fifteenth and September thirtieth or
22during a period in which the National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning or
23advisory, refuse to restore or intentionally shut off the water service to any resident who cannot
24pay an overdue charge because of financial hardship. Cities, towns and water districts shall
25provide monthly reports to the department of public utilities of the following information: (i) the
26number of households that would have otherwise lost water service if this paragraph did not
27apply; (ii) the municipalities and zip codes of households that would have lost service; and (iii)
28the estimated cost to the service provider of providing service that would have otherwise ceased.
29The department of public utilities shall promulgate regulations, pursuant to chapter 30A, that
30establish daily fines for any city, town or water district that violates this section, and may
31promulgate other rules and regulations consistent with this section, pursuant to said chapter 30A,
32as it deems reasonable and necessary to implement this section.
33 SECTION 3. Section 58A of chapter 164 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
34amended by adding the following paragraph:- 3 of 5
35 No municipal lighting plant shall, between May fifteenth and September thirtieth or
36during a period in which the National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning or
37advisory, refuse to restore or intentionally shut off the electricity supply service to any customer
38who cannot pay an overdue charge because of financial hardship, when such electric service is
39used to provide temperature control, or otherwise protect residents and their property from
40weather or climate conditions. Cities, towns and water districts shall provide monthly reports to
41the department of public utilities of the following information: (i) the number of households that
42would have otherwise lost electric service if this paragraph did not apply; (ii) the municipalities
43and zip codes of households that would have lost service; and (iii) the estimated cost to the
44service provider of providing service that would have otherwise ceased. The department shall
45promulgate regulations, pursuant to chapter 30A, that establish daily fines for any municipal
46light plant that violates this section. The department may promulgate other rules and regulations
47consistent with this section, pursuant to said chapter 30A, as it deems reasonable and necessary
48to implement this section.
49 SECTION 4. Section 124F of said chapter 164, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
50striking out the last sentence.
51 SECTION 5. Said section 124F of said chapter 164, as so appearing, is hereby further
52amended by adding the following 3 paragraphs:-
53 No electric company shall, between May fifteenth and September thirtieth or during a
54period in which the National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning or advisory,
55refuse to restore or shut off electric service to any residential customer who cannot pay an
56overdue charge because of financial hardship, when such electric service is used to provide 4 of 5
57temperature control, or otherwise protect residents and their property from weather or climate
58conditions.
59 Electric companies shall provide monthly reports to the department of public utilities of
60the following information: (i) the number of households that would have otherwise lost electric
61service if this paragraph did not apply; (ii) the municipalities and zip codes of households that
62would have lost service; and (iii) the estimated cost to the service provider of providing service
63that would have otherwise ceased.
64 The department shall promulgate regulations, pursuant to chapter 30A, that establish
65daily fines for any electric company that violates this section. The department may promulgate
66other rules and regulations consistent with this section, pursuant to said chapter 30A, as it deems
67reasonable and necessary to implement this section.
68 SECTION 6. Chapter 165 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
69section 11E the following section:-
70 Section 11F. (a) No corporation or company shall, between May fifteenth and September
71thirtieth or during a period in which the National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat
72warning or advisory, refuse to restore or intentionally shut off the water service to any residential
73customer who cannot pay an overdue charge because of financial hardship.
74 (b) Corporations and companies shall provide monthly reports to the department of public
75utilities of the following information: (i) the number of households that would have otherwise
76lost water service if this paragraph did not apply; (ii) the municipalities and zip codes of
77households that would have lost service; and (iii) the estimated cost to the service provider of
78providing service that would have otherwise ceased. 5 of 5
79 (c) The department shall promulgate regulations, pursuant to chapter 30A, that establish
80daily fines for any company violating this section. The department may promulgate other rules
81and regulations consistent with this section, pursuant to said chapter 30A, as it deems reasonable
82and necessary to implement this section.