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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | 2023 -- H 5410 |
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| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
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| 7 | 7 | | LC001304 |
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| 8 | 8 | | ======== |
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| 9 | 9 | | S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND |
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| 10 | 10 | | IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 11 | 11 | | JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023 |
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| 12 | 12 | | ____________ |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | A N A C T |
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| 15 | 15 | | RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION |
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| 16 | 16 | | Introduced By: Representatives Cruz, Boylan, Solomon, Potter, Slater, Shekarchi, Voas, |
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| 17 | 17 | | Stewart, McNamara, and Baginski |
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| 18 | 18 | | Date Introduced: February 08, 2023 |
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| 19 | 19 | | Referred To: House Corporations |
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| 20 | 20 | | |
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| 21 | 21 | | |
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| 22 | 22 | | It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
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| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 39-1 of the General Laws entitled "Public Utilities Commission" is 1 |
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| 24 | 24 | | hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 2 |
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| 25 | 25 | | 39-1-63. Utility termination moratorium period. 3 |
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| 26 | 26 | | (a) A public utility shall not terminate service to a residential customer during a utility 4 |
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| 27 | 27 | | termination moratorium period, which shall be from November 1st to April 15th of the following 5 |
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| 28 | 28 | | year, to any property of a residential customer which property is being used as a warming center, 6 |
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| 29 | 29 | | drop-in center, shelter, or similar facility that is providing emergency services to drop-in residents 7 |
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| 30 | 30 | | or unhoused individuals. This section shall apply regardless of whether the residential customer is 8 |
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| 31 | 31 | | eligible for termination pursuant to regulation 810-RICR-10-00-1 as promulgated and adopted by 9 |
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| 32 | 32 | | the Rhode Island public utilities commission (the “commission”). 10 |
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| 33 | 33 | | (b) The commission shall amend its rules and regulations governing the termination of 11 |
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| 34 | 34 | | residential electric and gas service as set forth in 810-RICR-10-00-1, and any similar rule or 12 |
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| 35 | 35 | | regulation of the commission, to incorporate the provisions of this section into its rules and 13 |
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| 36 | 36 | | regulation(s). 14 |
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| 37 | 37 | | (c) This section shall not nullify or reduce any extension of the suspension of service 15 |
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| 38 | 38 | | terminations and collection actions during the COVID-19 emergency already authorized or which 16 |
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| 39 | 39 | | may be authorized by the commission pursuant to "Docket No. 5022 - Suspension of Service 17 |
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| 40 | 40 | | Terminations and Certain Collections Activities During the COVID-19 Emergency." 18 |
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| 41 | 41 | | |
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| 42 | 42 | | |
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| 43 | 43 | | LC001304 - Page 2 of 3 |
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| 44 | 44 | | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 1 |
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| 45 | 45 | | ======== |
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| 46 | 46 | | LC001304 |
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| 47 | 47 | | ======== |
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| 48 | 48 | | |
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| 49 | 49 | | |
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| 50 | 50 | | LC001304 - Page 3 of 3 |
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| 51 | 51 | | EXPLANATION |
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| 52 | 52 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
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| 53 | 53 | | OF |
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| 54 | 54 | | A N A C T |
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| 55 | 55 | | RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION |
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| 56 | 56 | | *** |
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| 57 | 57 | | This act would provide that utility services would not be terminated for the period from 1 |
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| 58 | 58 | | November 1 to April 15 to any residential customer’s property which property is being used as a 2 |
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| 59 | 59 | | warming center, drop-in center, shelter, or similar facility that is providing emergency services to 3 |
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| 60 | 60 | | drop-in residents or unhoused individuals. 4 |
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| 61 | 61 | | This act would take effect upon passage. 5 |
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| 62 | 62 | | ======== |
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| 63 | 63 | | LC001304 |
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| 64 | 64 | | ======== |
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