The bill amends the Public Utility Act to introduce a new definition for "low-income customer," identifying them as residential customers of electric public utilities with an annual household income at or below eighty percent of the county area median income. It exempts these low-income customers from rate riders associated with new interconnected customers, thereby protecting them from additional costs. The bill outlines the criteria for qualifying as a low-income customer, which includes self-attestation of income, proof of residence in low-income housing, or proof of enrollment in designated low-income assistance programs such as Medicaid and SNAP.

Additionally, the bill revises existing definitions within the Public Utility Act, including terms like "commission" and "public utility," and clarifies the conditions for establishing interconnected customer rate riders to prevent duplicative costs. It mandates that electric public utilities inform their customers about low-income qualifications and required documentation by December 31, 2025, and annually thereafter. Once a customer qualifies as low-income, they will not need to requalify for five years, streamlining the process and ensuring ongoing access to benefits for eligible customers.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 62-3-3, 62-13-13.2