The proposed Bill No. 383 aims to amend current statutes to mandate an audit of hardship protection measures that prevent the termination of utility services for customers facing financial difficulties. This audit will assess the efforts made by public utilities and the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to recover costs associated with unpaid utility bills for customers benefiting from these protections. Additionally, the bill seeks to investigate whether any unrecovered costs have been transferred to other ratepayers, despite utilities potentially recovering these costs through alternative means.

Furthermore, the bill requires PURA to provide monthly public updates on the status of unpaid utility bills linked to hardship protection measures, including the total amount of such unpaid bills. The proposed changes emphasize transparency and accountability in the management of utility services for financially vulnerable customers, ensuring that both the recovery efforts and the financial implications for ratepayers are clearly communicated.