HB1260 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB097 06188 ASK 46262 b

97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB1260

Introduced 02/08/11, by Rep. Keith Farnham - Michelle Mussman

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

220 ILCS 5/8-201.5

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that notwithstanding any other provision of the Act, no utility during the period of time from December 1 through and including March 31 may disconnect service to any residential premises of which a service member or veteran is a primary occupant. Defines "veteran".

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning veterans.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by changing Section 8-201.5 as follows:

(220 ILCS 5/8-201.5)

Sec. 8-201.5. Military personnel on active duty; no stoppage of gas or electricity; arrearage; winter termination for nonpayment by military personnel or veterans.

(a) In this Section:

"Active duty" means active duty pursuant to an executive order of the President of the United States, an act of the Congress of the United States, or an order of the Governor.

"Veteran" means an Illinois resident who has served as a member of the armed services or reserve forces of the United States or a member of the Illinois National Guard and who has received an honorable discharge.

"Service member" means a member of the armed services or reserve forces of the United States or a member of the Illinois National Guard.

(b) No company or electric cooperative shall stop gas or electricity from entering the residential premises of which a service member was a primary occupant immediately before the service member was deployed on active duty for nonpayment for gas or electricity supplied to the residential premises.

(c) In order to be eligible for the benefits granted to service members under this Section, a service member must provide the company or electric cooperative with a copy of the military or gubernatorial orders calling the service member to active duty and of any orders further extending the service member's period of active duty.

(d) Upon the return from active duty of a residential consumer who is a service member, the company or electric cooperative shall offer the residential consumer a period equal to at least the period of deployment on active duty to pay any arrearages incurred during the period of the residential consumer's deployment. The company or electric cooperative shall inform the residential consumer that, if the period that the company or electric cooperative offers presents a hardship to the consumer, the consumer may request a longer period to pay the arrearages and, in the case of a company that is a public utility, may request the assistance of the Illinois Commerce Commission to obtain a longer period. No late payment fees or interest shall be charged to the residential consumer during the period of deployment or the repayment period.

(e) A violation of this Section constitutes a civil rights violation under the Illinois Human Rights Act.

All proceeds from the collection of any civil penalty imposed under this subsection shall be deposited into the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, no utility during the period of time from December 1 through and including March 31 may disconnect service to any residential premises of which a service member or veteran is a primary occupant.

(Source: P.A. 94-635, eff. 8-22-05; 94-802, eff. 5-26-06; 95-392, eff. 8-23-07.)