EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
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SENATE BILL 283
O1, C5 2lr1407
CF HB 138
By: Senator Washington
Introduced and read first time: January 19, 2022
Assigned to: Finance
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Department of Human Services – Electric Universal Service Program – 2
Eligibility 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Department of Human Services to authorize benefits 4
under the electric universal service program for certain electric customers; and 5
generally relating to the electric universal service program. 6
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – Public Utilities 8
Section 7–512.1(a) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 11
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13
Article – Public Utilities 14
7–512.1. 15
(a) (1) The Commission shall establish an electric universal service program 16
to assist electric customers with annual incomes: 17
(i) at or below 175% of the federal poverty level; or 18
(ii) for a customer at least 67 years of age, at or below 200% of the 19
federal poverty level. 20
(2) The components of the electric universal service program shall include: 21
(i) bill assistance; 22 2 SENATE BILL 283
(ii) low–income residential weatherization; and 1
(iii) the retirement of arrearages for electric customers who have not 2
received assistance in retiring arrearages under the universal service program within the 3
preceding 5 fiscal years. 4
(3) The Department of Housing and Community Development is 5
responsible for administering the low–income residential weatherization component of the 6
electric universal service program. 7
(4) (i) The Department of Human Services, through the Office of Home 8
Energy Programs, is responsible for administering the bill assistance and the arrearage 9
retirement components of the electric universal service program. 10
(ii) The Department of Human Services may: 11
1. establish minimum and maximum benefits available to an 12
electric customer under the bill assistance and arrearage retirement components; and 13
2. coordinate benefits under the electric universal service 14
program with benefits under the Maryland Energy Assistance Program and other available 15
energy assistance programs. 16
(III) THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES SHALL 17
AUTHORIZE BENEFITS U NDER THE ELECTRIC UN IVERSAL SERVICE PROG RAM FOR 18
AN ELECTRIC CUSTOMER WHO DOES NOT MEET TH E ELIGIBILITY REQUIR EMENTS 19
FOR THE FEDERAL LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 20
(5) The Department of Human Services may, with input from a panel or 21
roundtable of interested parties, contract to assist in administering the bill assistance and 22
the arrearage retirement components of the electric universal service program. 23
(6) The Commission has oversight responsibility for the bill assistance and 24
the arrearage retirement components of the electric universal service program and any 25
other funds expended under this section. 26
(7) In a specific case, the electric universal service program may waive the 27
income eligibility limitation under paragraph (1) of this subsection in order to provide 28
assistance to an electric customer who would qualify for a similar waiver under the 29
Maryland Energy Assistance Program established under Title 5, Subtitle 5A of the Human 30
Services Article. 31
(8) (i) If an applicant for bill assistance or arrearage retirement is to be 32
denied due to deficient documentation, the Department of Human Services shall: 33
1. promptly provide notice of the deficiency to the applicant; 34 SENATE BILL 283 3
and 1
2. afford the applicant ample opportunity of not less than 3 2
months to cure the deficiency. 3
(ii) An electric company may not begin the process to terminate 4
service to an applicant while the applicant is curing a deficiency under this paragraph. 5
(9) Notwithstanding paragraph (2)(iii) of this subsection, any assistance 6
received for arrearage retirement by a customer in calendar years 2020 and 2021 may not 7
be counted toward the limitation on the number of times the customer may receive 8
assistance for arrearage retirement. 9
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 10
October 1, 2022. 11