Proposed Bill No. 383 aims to enhance transparency and accountability regarding unpaid utility bills resulting from financial hardship. The bill mandates 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 bills, as well as investigate whether these costs have been unfairly passed on to other ratepayers.

Additionally, 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. This initiative seeks to ensure that the financial implications of these protections are clearly communicated and managed, thereby promoting fairness in utility billing practices. The proposed changes include the insertion of new requirements for audits and monthly updates, with no deletions from existing law noted in the text.