AS PASSED BY HOUSE H.21
2023 Page 1 of 2
1 H.21
2 An act relating to landlord notice of utility disconnections
3 It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
4 Sec. 1. UTILITY DISCONNECTION; LANDLORD NOTIFICATION;
5 PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION; RULEMAKING
6 (a) For the purpose of promoting safety, the protection of property, and
7 providing assistance to tenants, the Public Utility Commission shall revise its
8 rules concerning utility service disconnection to:
9 (1) require that a utility provide notice to the property owner of
10 residential or nonresidential rental property if utility service to the property has
11 been disconnected, even if the tenant is the ratepayer; and
12 (2) allow a utility to disconnect utility service remotely.
13 (b) As used in this section, “utility service” means gas, electric, water, and
14 wastewater service subject to the jurisdiction of the Public Utility Commission.
15 (c) The rules adopted pursuant to subdivision (a)(1) of this section shall:
16 (1) establish the form, content, time, and manner of the notification
17 required by subdivision (a)(1) of this section;
18 (2) include a process whereby a property owner can request that the
19 notification is provided to a property manager or other appropriate third party;
20 and VT LEG #370363 v.1
 AS PASSED BY HOUSE H.21
2023 Page 2 of 2
1 (3) ensure that the notification does not include personal or confidential
2 information pertaining to the tenant or the tenant’s account, except that the
3 utility may disclose information necessary to enable the property owner or
4 other applicable third party to reconnect utility service to the property.
5 (d) On or before January 15, 2024, the Public Utility Commission shall
6 submit to the House Committees on General and Housing and on Environment
7 and Energy and the Senate Committees on Economic Development, Housing
8 and General Affairs and on Finance a proposal in the form of draft legislation
9 that incorporates, as the Commission deems appropriate, the rules adopted by
10 the Commission pursuant to this section and that applies to utility
11 disconnections not subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission, including
12 water and sewer service provided by a water or sewer system owned by a
13 municipality, fire district, or private company subject to the uniform water and
14 sewer disconnection requirements in 24 V.S.A. chapter 129.
15 Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE
16 This act shall take effect on passage.
VT LEG #370363 v.1