An Act to Reduce the Electric Bill of Persons Requiring Daily Use of Electric Oxygenators LR 0912(02)
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0343
Committee Amendment CA_A_H86 (House)

~ 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "tt" to H.P. 272, L.D. 343, Bill, "An 
Act To Reduce the Electric Bill of Persons Requiring Daily Use of 
Electric Oxygenators" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting 
clause and before the summary and inserting in its place the 
following: 
'Sec. I. 35·A MRSA §3104 is enacted to read: 
§3104. Charges when electric o~en pump used 
The commission by rule shall establish a program consistent 
with this section to provide assistance to residential customers 
who for health reasons must use an electric oxygen pump. 
1. Program benefits. 
The program must include a procedure 
whereby a person eligible under subsection 2 may apply to have 
the amount attributable to the cost of serving the electric 
oxygen PumP, including both transmission and distribution utility 
and 
competitive 
service 
provider 
charges. 
removed 
from 
the 
person's bill. 
The commission shall establish by rule an administratively simple 
and inexpensive method for determining the amount attributable to 
~cost of serving the electric oxygen pump that does 
not 
reguire special metering of the electricity used by the electric 
oxygen pump and that may involve a reasonable estimate of the 
amount based on the energy consumption rating of the electric 
oxygen pump. 
COMM/rrEE AMENDMENT 
\-
~. 
~: 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .. If, to H.P. 272, L.D. 343 
2. 
Eligibility. 
The 
program 
must 
provide 
the 
program 
benefits described in subsection 1 to any person: 
A. 
Who provides documentation from a doctor that the person 
for health reasons needs an electric oxygen pump 8 hours a 
day, every day; and 
B. Whose income is at or below 200~ of the federal poverty 
line as defined in the Community Services Block Grant Act, 
United States Code, Section 9902(2). 
3. Cost recovery. 
The benefits provided under this section 
are available only to the extent funds are allocated by the 
Legislature to reimburse transmission and distribution utilities 
and 
competitive 
service 
providers 
for 
lost 
revenues. 
The 
commission shall establish by rule an administratively simple and 
inexpensive method for providing such reimbursement. 
4. 
Rules. 
Rules 
adopted 
pursuant 
to 
this 
section are 
routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, 
chapter 375, 
subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 
2. 
Appropriations 
and 
allocations. 
appropriations and allocations are made. 
The 
following 
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION 
Public Utilities - Administrative Division 
Initiative: 
Establishes 
a 
program 
to 
provide 
assistance 
to 
residential customers who for health reasons must use an electric 
oxygen pump. 
Fund for a Healthy Maine 
All Other 
Fund for a Healthy Maine Total 
SUMMARY 
2003-04 
$45,000 
$45,000 
2004-05 
$45,000 
$45,000' 
This amendment narrows the application of the bill by adding 
an income eligibility requirement. 
The amendment directs the 
Public Utilities Commission to establish a program to provide 
assistance to any residential customer who for health reasons 
must use an electric oxygen pump and whose income is at or below 
200~ of the federal poverty line. 
Under the program, a customer 
who meets the eligibility requirements would be able to apply to 
have the cost of serving the electric oxygen pump removed from 
. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMEN~ "f(.. to H.P. 272, L.D. 343 
the customer's bill. 
The program is funded by allocation from 
the Fund for a Healthy Maine. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMM/rrEE AMENDMENT 
Net Cost (Savings) 
Fund for a Healthy Maine 
Appropriations/Allocations 
Fund for a Healthy Maine 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Approved: 03/25/03 ;t?ac::.. 
Office of Fiscal and Program Review 
LD343 
An Act to Reduce the Electric Bill of Persons Requiring Daily Use of 
Electric Oxygenators 
LR 0912(02) 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment" " 
Committee: Utilities and Energy 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Minority Report 
Fiscal Note 
2003-04 
2004-05 
$45,000 
$45,000 
$45,000 
$45,000 
Projections 
2005-06 
$0 
$0 
Projections 
2006-07 
$0 
$0 
The bill as amended includes an allocation of $45,000 from the Fund For A Healthy Maine in fiscal year 2003-04 and 
fiscal year 2004-05 to the Public Utilities Commission to provide assistance to residential customers who for health 
reasons must use an electric oxygen pump. The cost associated with adopting rules for this program can be absorbed 
by the Public Utilities Commission utilizing existing budgeted resources. 
LR0912(2) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1 
.'