An Act To ClarifY the Criteria for Provision of Assistance to Low-income Customers of Natural Gas Companies
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0120
Committee Amendment CA_A_S23 (Senate)
Amends: 35-A MRSA §4706-A, 35-A MRSA §4706-B

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A " to S.P. 43, L.D. 120, Bill, "An Act To ClarifY 
the Criteria for Provision of Assistance to Low-income Customers of Natural Gas 
Companies" 
Amend the bill by striking outthe title and substituting the following: 
'An Act Regarding Assistance to Low-income Customers of Gas Utilities' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §4706-A, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 664, §1, is repealed. 
Sec. 2. 35-A MRSA §4706-B is enacted to read: . 
§4706-B. Assistance programs for low-income customers 
1. Programs. Each gas utility in the State that serves 5,000 or more residential 
customers shall offer low-income assistance programs for residential customers who 
satisfy criteria for low-income assistance as established by the commission in rule. 
To 
the maximum extent possible, a gas utility, in adopting and implementing a low-income 
assistance program under this section, shall seek to encourage conserVation in the use of 
gas by program paliicipants. 
2. Cost recovery. The commission shall include in rates for a gas utility all costs 
incurred in compliance with this section and commission rules adopted under this section, 
as long as such costs have been prudently incurred. 
3. Rules. The commission may adopt rules necessary to implement this section. 
Rules adopted under this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, 
chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
4. Report. The commission shall report on low-income assistance programs offered 
by gas utilities pursuant to this section within the annual report required under section 
120. ' 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A "to S.P. 43, L.D. 120 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill. The amendment requires gas utilities in the State 
that serve. 5,000 or more residential customers to offer assistance programs for low-
income residential customers. It requires the gas utilities, in the adoption and 
implementation of low-income assistance programs, to encourage conservation in the use 
of gas. The bill provides for the recovery of costs through rates. It authorizes the Public 
Utilities Commission to adopt rules to implement these provisions and requires the 
commission to report on low-income assistance programs in the commission's annual 
report. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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Approved: 02/27/09 
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LD 120 
LR 426(02) 
An Act To Clarify the Criteria for Provision of Assistance to Low-income Customers of Natural Gas 
Companies 
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Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" 
Committee: Utilities and Energy 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
111is bill will require any gas utility with 5,000 or more customers to offer a low-income assistance program for 
residential customers. At this time, there is only one gas utility company that meets the 5,000 customer threshold and 
that one already has a low income assistance program in place. Under the bill costs for this program will now be 
recovered from rates charged to all customers. A report will be produced annually by the PLlblic Utilities Commission 
(PUC) on the low income program. The additional costs to the PUC associated with this rulemaking can'be absorbed 
within existing budgeted resources. 
LR0426(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1