Public Act 174 of 2009

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• Introduced by Rep. Jeff Mayes (D) on March 19, 2009, to prohibit a municipal utility from shutting off the service of a customer who hasn’t paid his or her bills unless it has complied with state administrative rules on this.
  • Referred to the House Energy and Technology Committee on March 19, 2009.
    • Reported in the House on March 31, 2009, with the recommendation that the substitute (H-3) be adopted and that the bill then pass.
  • Substitute offered in the House on March 31, 2009, to replace the previous version of the bill with one that bans or restricts heating season shutoffs of seniors or certain low income customers. The substitute passed by voice vote in the House on March 31, 2009.
• Passed 104 to 6 in the House on March 31, 2009, to prohibit municipal utilities from shutting off service during the heating season of a customer who is a senior citizen who hasn’t paid his or her bills, or of a low income customer if the individual pays 7 percent of his or her annual charges and applies for government heating subsidies.
  Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
• Received in the Senate on April 2, 2009.
  • Referred to the Senate Energy Policy & Public Utilities Committee on April 2, 2009.
    • Reported in the Senate on September 24, 2009, with the recommendation that the following amendments be adopted and that the bill then pass: 1. Amend page 2, line 3, after the first "THE" by striking out "CUSTOMER PAYS" and inserting "ELIGIBLE CUSTOMER ENTERS INTO A WINTER PROTECTION PAYMENT PLAN TO PAY". 2. Amend page 2, line 5, after the first "CUSTOMER" by inserting "OR THE ELIGIBLE CUSTOMER AND THE UTILITY MUTUALLY AGREE UPON A WINTER PROTECTION PAYMENT PLAN WITH DIFFERENT TERMS". 3. Amend page 2, line 13, by striking out all of subsection (2) and renumbering the remaining subsections. 4. Amend page 2, line 20, after "OF" by striking out "THIS SECTION" and inserting "A WINTER PROTECTION PAYMENT PLAN".
  • Amendment offered in the Senate on October 6, 2009, to clarify that entering a winter protection payment plan is one of the ways a delinquent customer can avoid a service shutoff. The amendment passed by voice vote in the Senate on October 6, 2009.
  • Amendment offered by Sen. Bruce Patterson (R) on November 10, 2009, to require a shut off notice sent by the utility to include information on a government social welfare question line ("211"). The amendment passed by voice vote in the Senate on November 10, 2009.
• Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on November 10, 2009, to prohibit municipal utilities from shutting off service during the heating season of a customer who is a senior citizen who hasn’t paid his or her bills, or of a low income customer if the individual pays 7 percent of his or her annual charges as part of a monthly winter protection plan, and applies for government heating subsidies.
  Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
• Received in the House on November 10, 2009.
• Passed 103 to 3 in the House on December 2, 2009, to concur with the Senate-passed version of the bill.
  Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
• Signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm on December 14, 2009.