SB20-030 Summary

• Increases medical exemption income eligibility threshold from 250% to 450% of federal poverty level for customers seeking exemptions from tiered electricity rates based on medical conditions.

• Requires the Public Utilities Commission to adopt rules by September 1, 2020, establishing standard disconnection practices for gas and electric utilities, including multilingual resources, reasonable shut-off times (Monday-Friday business hours), payment plan terms, referrals to energy assistance programs, and prohibitions on remote disconnections without customer contact attempts.

• Mandates utilities report annually on disconnections, delinquencies, and enrollment efforts for medical exemption programs, with the commission publishing this information on its website.

• Requires commission evaluation of rate design changes approved after September 1, 2020, to ensure revenue-neutral outcomes and presumes rate designs disproportionately impacting low-income residential customers are contrary to public interest.

• Appropriates $16,545 to the Public Utilities Commission for fiscal year 2020-21 to implement the act, assuming an additional 0.2 FTE.