The bill, HB 610-FN, proposes the repeal of the Office of the Consumer Advocate (OCA) and transfers its responsibilities, rights, and assets to the New Hampshire Department of Energy (DoE) effective 120 days after passage. It ensures that all properties, obligations, and liabilities of the OCA will be assumed by the DoE, maintaining existing contracts and financial commitments. The DoE will continue to enforce all rules and regulations established by the OCA until they are revised or rescinded. The bill also allows for ongoing actions against the OCA to be completed by the DoE post-dissolution. Notably, it introduces a new provision for the appointment of a consumer advocate, a qualified attorney who will represent residential utility consumers and participate in utility-related proceedings.

In addition to repealing the OCA, the bill makes several amendments to existing laws, including the removal of references to the OCA in various contexts, such as the assessment of costs for expert assistance and the consultation process for electric distribution utilities. It deletes the requirement for the OCA to be consulted on requests for proposals and removes its voting membership in the grid modernization advisory group. The bill also clarifies that costs incurred by the DoE and the Public Utilities Commission for expert assistance will not be assessed against the OCA unless involved in specific proceedings. Overall, the bill aims to streamline energy regulation processes, enhance public awareness of Lifeline Telephone Assistance programs, and reduce the role of the consumer advocate in certain areas, with a projected decrease in expenditures related to the OCA's operating budget.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 12-P:5, 12-P:16, 53-E:7, 94:1-a, 363:28-a, 363-A:2, 365:37, 369-B:2, 374-F:11