LANSING – The Michigan Senate passed bills Wednesday that would require the Department of Human Services to work with utilities to identify residents who are eligible for assistance programs.
The bills (SB 553 and SB 555 ) are part of a package of bills designed to protect residents from unwarranted utility disconnection, particularly by municipal utilities.
Under the bills, DHS would be required to provide utilities a list of those receiving public assistance and thus eligible for utility shutoff protection programs. The utilities would be able to compare those to customer delinquency lists, but would be prohibited from disclosing the information.
The department would also be required to make any assistance payments going directly to utilities by electronic fund transfer.
Other bills in the package (SB 338 , SB 533 , SB 535 , SB 554 and SB 557 ) were moved into place for potential passage Thursday with substitutes that match them to House bills on the same subjects.
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