1Amending Title 66 (Public Utilities) of the Pennsylvania
2Consolidated Statutes, in responsible utility customer
3protection, further providing for termination of utility
4service.

5The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6hereby enacts as follows:

7Section 1. Section 1406(e) of Title 66 of the Pennsylvania
8Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:

9§ 1406. Termination of utility service.

10* * *

11(e) Winter termination.--

12(1) Unless otherwise authorized by the commission, after
13November 30 and before April 1, an electric distribution
14utility or natural gas distribution utility shall not
15terminate service to customers [with household incomes at or
16below 250% of the Federal poverty level] except for customers
17whose actions conform to subsection (c)(1). [The commission
18shall not prohibit an electric distribution utility or

1natural gas distribution utility from terminating service in
2accordance with this section to customers with household
3incomes exceeding 250% of the Federal poverty level.

4(2) In addition to the winter termination authority set
5forth in paragraph (1), a city natural gas distribution
6operation may terminate service to a customer whose household
7income exceeds 150% of the Federal poverty level but does not
8exceed 250% of the Federal poverty level, and starting
9January 1, has not paid at least 50% of his charges for each
10of the prior two months unless the customer has done one of
11the following:

12(i) Has proven in accordance with commission rules
13that his household contains one or more persons who are
1465 years of age or over.

15(ii) Has proven in accordance with commission rules
16that his household contains one or more persons 12 years
17of age or younger.

18(iii) Has obtained a medical certification in
19accordance with commission rules.

20(iv) Has paid to the city natural gas distribution
21operation an amount representing at least 15% of the
22customer's monthly household income for each of the last
23two months.

24(3) At the time that the notice of termination required
25by subsection (b)(1)(i) is provided to the customer, the city
26natural gas distribution operation shall provide notice to
27the commission. The commission shall not stay the termination
28of service unless the commission finds that the customer
29meets the criteria in paragraph 2(i), (ii), (iii) or (iv).]

30* * *

1Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.