EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW .
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
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SENATE BILL 283
O1, C5 2lr1407
CF HB 138
By: Senator Washington Senators Washington and Augustine
Introduced and read first time: January 19, 2022
Assigned to: Finance
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 12, 2022
CHAPTER ______
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
2 SENATE BILL 283
(ii) for a customer at least 67 years of age, at or below 200% of the 1
federal poverty level. 2
(2) The components of the electric universal service program shall include: 3
(i) bill assistance; 4
(ii) low–income residential weatherization; and 5
(iii) the retirement of arrearages for electric customers who have not 6
received assistance in retiring arrearages under the universal service program within the 7
preceding 5 fiscal years. 8
(3) The Department of Housing and Community Development is 9
responsible for administering the low–income residential weatherization component of the 10
electric universal service program. 11
(4) (i) The Department of Human Services, through the Office of Home 12
Energy Programs, is responsible for administering the bill assistance and the arrearage 13
retirement components of the electric universal service program. 14
(ii) The Department of Human Services may: 15
1. establish minimum and maximum benefits available to an 16
electric customer under the bill assistance and arrearage retirement components; and 17
2. coordinate benefits under the electric universal service 18
program with benefits under the Maryland Energy Assistance Program and other available 19
energy assistance programs. 20
(III) THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES SHALL 21
AUTHORIZE BENEFITS U NDER THE ELECTRIC UN IVERSAL SERVICE PROGRA M FOR 22
AN ELECTRIC CUSTOMER WHO: 23
1. DOES NOT MEET THE EL IGIBILITY REQUIREMEN TS 24
FOR THE FEDERAL LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM; AND 25
2. HAS AN ANNUAL INCOME : 26
A. IF THE CUSTOMER IS U NDER THE AGE OF 67 YEARS, 27
AT OR BELOW 175% OF THE FEDERAL POVER TY LEVEL; OR 28
B. IF THE CUSTOMER IS A T LEAST 67 YEARS OLD, AT OR 29
BELOW 200% OF THE FEDERAL POVER TY LEVEL. 30
SENATE BILL 283 3
(5) The Department of Human Services may, with input from a panel or 1
roundtable of interested parties, contract to assist in administering the bill assistance and 2
the arrearage retirement components of the electric universal service program. 3
(6) The Commission has oversight responsibility for the bill assistance and 4
the arrearage retirement components of the electric universal service program and any 5
other funds expended under this section. 6
(7) In a specific case, the electric universal service program may waive the 7
income eligibility limitation under paragraph (1) of this subsection in order to provide 8
assistance to an electric customer who would qualify for a similar waiver under the 9
Maryland Energy Assistance Program established under Title 5, Subtitle 5A of the Human 10
Services Article. 11
(8) (i) If an applicant for bill assistance or arrearage retirement is to be 12
denied due to deficient documentation, the Department of Human Services shall: 13
1. promptly provide notice of the deficiency to the applicant; 14
and 15
2. afford the applicant ample opportunity of not less than 3 16
months to cure the deficiency. 17
(ii) An electric company may not begin the process to terminate 18
service to an applicant while the applicant is curing a deficiency under this paragraph. 19
(9) Notwithstanding paragraph (2)(iii) of this subsection, any assistance 20
received for arrearage retirement by a customer in calendar years 2020 and 2021 may not 21
be counted toward the limitation on the number of times the customer may receive 22
assistance for arrearage retirement. 23
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 24
October 1, 2022. 25
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.