97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB1260

 

Introduced 02/08/11, by Rep. Keith Farnham - Michelle Mussman

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
220 ILCS 5/8-201.5

    Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that notwithstanding any other provision of the Act, no utility during the period of time from December 1 through and including March 31 may disconnect service to any residential premises of which a service member or veteran is a primary occupant. Defines "veteran".


LRB097 06188 ASK 46262 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB1260LRB097 06188 ASK 46262 b

1    AN ACT concerning veterans.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by changing
5Section 8-201.5 as follows:
 
6    (220 ILCS 5/8-201.5)
7    Sec. 8-201.5. Military personnel on active duty; no
8stoppage of gas or electricity; arrearage; winter termination
9for nonpayment by military personnel or veterans.
10    (a) In this Section:
11    "Active duty" means active duty pursuant to an executive
12order of the President of the United States, an act of the
13Congress of the United States, or an order of the Governor.
14    "Veteran" means an Illinois resident who has served as a
15member of the armed services or reserve forces of the United
16States or a member of the Illinois National Guard and who has
17received an honorable discharge.
18    "Service member" means a member of the armed services or
19reserve forces of the United States or a member of the Illinois
20National Guard.
21    (b) No company or electric cooperative shall stop gas or
22electricity from entering the residential premises of which a
23service member was a primary occupant immediately before the

 

 

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1service member was deployed on active duty for nonpayment for
2gas or electricity supplied to the residential premises.
3    (c) In order to be eligible for the benefits granted to
4service members under this Section, a service member must
5provide the company or electric cooperative with a copy of the
6military or gubernatorial orders calling the service member to
7active duty and of any orders further extending the service
8member's period of active duty.
9    (d) Upon the return from active duty of a residential
10consumer who is a service member, the company or electric
11cooperative shall offer the residential consumer a period equal
12to at least the period of deployment on active duty to pay any
13arrearages incurred during the period of the residential
14consumer's deployment. The company or electric cooperative
15shall inform the residential consumer that, if the period that
16the company or electric cooperative offers presents a hardship
17to the consumer, the consumer may request a longer period to
18pay the arrearages and, in the case of a company that is a
19public utility, may request the assistance of the Illinois
20Commerce Commission to obtain a longer period. No late payment
21fees or interest shall be charged to the residential consumer
22during the period of deployment or the repayment period.
23    (e) A violation of this Section constitutes a civil rights
24violation under the Illinois Human Rights Act.
25    All proceeds from the collection of any civil penalty
26imposed under this subsection shall be deposited into the

 

 

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1Illinois Military Family Relief Fund.
2    (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, no
3utility during the period of time from December 1 through and
4including March 31 may disconnect service to any residential
5premises of which a service member or veteran is a primary
6occupant.
7(Source: P.A. 94-635, eff. 8-22-05; 94-802, eff. 5-26-06;
895-392, eff. 8-23-07.)