An Act To Change the Name of the Public Utilities Commission's Consumer Assistance Division
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0446
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology
Sponsors: WOODSOME, DION
Amends: 2 MRSA §6-A, 5 MRSA §949, 35-A MRSA §107, 35-A MRSA §704, 35-A MRSA §6114

Legislative Document 
No. 446 
S.P. 175 
In Senate, February 24, 2015 
An Act To Change the Name of the Public Utilities Commission's 
Consumer Assistance Division 
Submitted by the Public Utilities Commission pursuant to Joint Rule 204. 
Reference to the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology suggested and ordered 
printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator WOODSOME of York. 
Cosponsored by Representative DION of Portland. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  2 MRSA §6-A, sub-§3, ¶E, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 618, §1, is 
amended to read: 
E.  Director of consumer assistance and safety. 
Sec. 2.  5 MRSA §949, sub-§1, ¶E, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 618, §4, is 
amended to read: 
E.  Director of Consumer Assistance consumer assistance and safety. 
Sec. 3.  35-A MRSA §107, sub-§1, ¶A, as amended by PL 2011, c. 420, Pt. A, 
§30, is further amended to read: 
A.  An administrative director, a director of telephone and water utility industries, a 
director of electric and gas utility industries and a director of consumer assistance and 
safety; 
Sec. 4.  35-A MRSA §107, sub-§2, ¶A, as amended by PL 2011, c. 420, Pt. A, 
§31, is further amended to read: 
A.  The general counsel, the administrative director, the assistant administrative 
director, the director of telephone and water utility industries, the director of electric 
and gas utility industries and the director of consumer assistance and safety serve at 
the pleasure of the commission and their salaries must be set by the commission 
within the ranges established by Title 2, section 6-A. 
Sec. 5.  35-A MRSA §107, sub-§2, ¶C, as amended by PL 2011, c. 420, Pt. A, 
§32, is further amended to read: 
C.  The salaries of the other subordinate officials and employees of the commission, 
other than those of the general counsel, the administrative director, the assistant 
administrative director,  the director of telephone and water utility industries, the 
director of electric and gas utility industries, the director of consumer assistance and 
safety and the staff attorney and utility analyst positions, are subject to the Civil 
Service Law. 
Sec. 6.  35-A MRSA §704, sub-§5, ¶¶A and D, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 614, 
§2, are amended to read: 
A.  Records containing the following information shall be are confidential and are not 
public records for the purpose of Title 1, section 402, subsection 3: 
(1)  Information acquired by the Consumer Assistance Division consumer 
assistance and safety division regarding the payment and credit history and 
financial condition of a customer who has requested the assistance of the 
division; and 
(2)  Information acquired by the Consumer Assistance Division consumer 
assistance and safety division regarding the medical condition of a customer or 
member of a customer's family. 
D.  The Consumer Assistance Division consumer assistance and safety division shall 
prepare its decisions or abstracts of decisions in a manner which that protects the 
confidentiality of customer information as provided by this subsection.  Those 
decisions or abstracts of decisions shall must be available for public access. 
Sec. 7.  35-A MRSA §6114, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 573, §4, is 
amended to read: 
4.  Consumer assistance and safety division.  The commission shall ensure that 
customers of consumer-owned water utilities retain access to the services provided by the 
consumer assistance and safety division within the commission. 
SUMMARY 
This bill adds "and safety" to references to the Public Utilities Commission's 
consumer assistance division to reflect that the division now also oversees the State's gas 
safety regulation and enforcement and enforcement of the underground facility damage 
prevention law.