(a) The commission shall develop policies, rules, or regulations with a goal of reducing, by January 1, 2024, the statewide level of gas and electric service disconnections for nonpayment by residential customers, including policies, rules, or regulations specific to the four gas and electrical corporations that have the greatest number of customers. The commission shall convene stakeholders, including, but not limited to, public health officials, consumer advocates, and organizations representing low-income communities, to assist with the development of the policies, rules, or regulations.
(b) (1) In each gas and electrical corporation general rate case, the commission shall do both of the following:
(A) Designate the impact of any proposed increase in rates on disconnections for nonpayment as an issue in the scope of the proceeding.
(B) Conduct an assessment of and properly identify the impact of any proposed increase in rates on disconnections for nonpayment, which shall be included in the record of the proceeding.
(2) The commission shall adopt residential utility disconnections for nonpayment as a metric and incorporate the metric into each gas and electrical corporation general rate case.
(Added by Stats. 2017, Ch. 362, Sec. 2. (SB 598) Effective January 1, 2018.)