From: Whipple, Deb (GOV)
Sent: Monday, December 14, 2009
4:57 PM
Subject: What the Governor is talking about today
What the Governor’s Talking about
Today
Monday, December 14, 2009
Governor Signs Legislation Protecting
Customers of Municipal Utilities from Shutoffs
Late this
afternoon the governor signed the final five bills in a legislative package
providing increased protection from shutoffs for customers of municipal
utilities. The governor signed the other three bills in the package on
November 23.
The five bills:
• Govern shutoff notices and procedures for
customers of municipal utilities
• Protect eligible low-income and senior
citizen customers from utility shutoffs
• Permit the attorney general or a customer
to bring a civil action against a municipal utility in shutoff cases involving
serious injury or death
• Require municipal utilities to make efforts
to identify customers age 65 or older
• Require the Department of Human Services to
supply, at the request of energy providers, information about people who have
applied for or are receiving public assistance. The information will be used to
reach out to people on ways they can reduce energy costs and prevent utility
shutoffs.
The bills signed by the governor today are House
Bill 4658, sponsored by State Representative Andy Neumann (D-Alpena); House Bill
4673, sponsored by State Representative Jeff Mayes (D-Bay City); Senate Bill
553, sponsored by State Senator John Pappageorge (R-Troy); Senate Bill 554,
sponsored by State Senator Roger Kahn (R-Saginaw); and Senate Bill 557,
sponsored by State Senator Bruce Patterson (R-Canton).
Key messages:
• In these tough economic times, more and
more people are having difficulty paying their utility bills. Customers of
municipal utilities now have the same protections against shutoffs that
customers of utilities regulated by the Michigan Public Service Commission
have.
• Regarding utility shutoffs and other
emergencies such as foreclosures, the state’s Helping Hand Web site can help
people get the assistance they need. People also can apply for food
assistance and unemployment benefits through the Helping Hand Web site, which
can be found at michigan.gov/helpinghand.
# # #