An Act To End Discrimination against Persons with Pulmonary Disabilities in Northern and Eastern Maine
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 0563
Committee: Utilities and Energy

Legislative Document 
No. 563 
H.P.418 
House of Representatives, February 3, 2005 
An Act To End Discrimination against Persons with Pulmonary 
Disabilities in Northern and Eastern Maine 
Reference to the Committee on Utilities and Energy suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representati ve FAIRCLOTH of Bangor. 
Printed on n:cycled paper 
11/~ 
1J7.17!(}£~( 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec.t. 3S-A MRSA §3214, sub-§S is enacted to read: 
5. 
Enliuring 
equal 
tJ;.ea_tme_~Qr persons 
with 
certain 
disabilities. 
If the commission establishes or approves one or 
more low-income assistance programs under subsections 2 or 3 that 
result in similarly situated persons receiving different levels 
of 
assistance 
depending 
solely 
upon 
which 
transmission 
and 
distribution uti!ity 
service 
territory 
they 
reside 
in, 
the 
commission shall by rule establish an eguitable-treatment program 
consistent with ~is subse~tion to ensure assistance provided to 
low-income residential customers who for health reasons must use 
an 
el~ric oxygen pump is substantially eguivalent throughout 
the State. 
A. 
The eguitable-treatment program must be available to any 
person who: 
(1) Is eligible for the transmission and distribution 
utili ty' s low-income assistance program established in 
accordance with subsection 2; and 
(2) 
Provides 
documentation 
from 
a 
doctor 
that 
the 
person for health reasons needs an oxygen pump at least 
hours each day. 
B. 
Program benefi~nder this subsection must be designed 
to ensure that the total 
low-income 
assistance benefits 
provided 
under 
this 
section 
to 
persons 
eligible 
under 
paragraph 
A are 
substantially eguivalent 
throughout 
the 
State. 
The 
commission 
may 
not 
reduce 
any 
assistance 
provided under any low-income assistance program established 
under subsection 2 in order to satisfy the reguirements of 
this paragraph. 
C. 
The 
commission 
shall 
establish 
an 
administratively 
simple and inexpensive method of administering the eguitable 
treatment program. 
D. 
Rea~onable 
costs 
incurred 
by 
a 
transmission 
and 
distribution utility in implementing any program established 
by 
the 
commission 
under 
this 
subsection 
are 
just 
and 
reasonable expenses for rate-making purposes. 
E. 
Rules adopted pursu~o 
technical 
rules 
as 
defined 
subchapter 2-A. 
this subsection are routine 
in 
Title 
5, 
chapter 
375, 
Page l-LR0325(1) 
SUMMARY 
Pursuant to current law, the Public Utilities Commission has 
established different low-income assistance programs in different 
transmission and distribution utility territories. 
As a result, 
low-income customers of Central Maine Power Company are offered a 
percent-of-income 
program 
that 
generally 
provides 
greater 
benefits 
than 
those 
offered 
under 
other 
transmission 
and 
distribution utility programs. 
This bill requires the commission 
to 
establish 
an 
equitable-treatment 
program 
to 
ensure 
the 
electricity bill assistance provided to low-income residential 
customers who for health reasons must use electric oxygen pumps 
is 
substantially equivalent 
in 
the 
various 
transmission 
and 
distribution utility service territories.