APPROVED CHAPTER
MAY 23, 2025 115
BY GOVERNOR PUBLIC LAW
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
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H.P. 702 - L.D. 1080
An Act Prohibiting Public Utilities from Requiring Deposits Based Solely on
a Residential Customer's Income
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §705, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 141, Pt. A, §6, is
amended to read:
1. Residential customers; applicants. No A public utility may not require any a
deposit of any a residential customer without proof that the customer is likely to be a credit
risk or to damage the property of the utility. That proof shall must be furnished to the
customer upon request. Absence of previous experience with the utility shall may not be
considered proof that the customer is a credit risk or threatens to damage utility property.
A utility may not require a deposit from an applicant for residential service based solely on
the applicant's income. For purposes of this subsection, "applicant" means a person that
applies for public utility service and has not been a customer of the utility within 30
calendar days prior to the person's application for utility service. The commission shall
adopt rules to carry out the purposes of this subsection. Rules adopted pursuant to this
subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. 2. Public Utilities Commission to adopt rules. Within 30 days of the
effective date of this Act, the Public Utilities Commission shall initiate rulemaking to
implement the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 705, subsection 1, as amended
by this Act.
Page 1 - 132LR1765(03)


Statutes affected:
Bill Text ACTPUB , Chapter 115: 35-A.705