An Act amending Title 66 (Public Utilities) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in Public Utility Commission, further providing for consumer protection and information.
Summary
HB322 amends Pennsylvania’s Public Utility Code to expand consumer notice requirements for proposed utility rate changes and system acquisitions. Under the bill, any notice sent to utility customers about a proposed rate change or acquisition must include instructions explaining how customers can submit comments to the Public Utility Commission (PUC) by mail and electronically.
The measure also requires the PUC to accept public comments at a minimum through mail and electronic submission, either by email or through a publicly accessible website. The bill is narrowly focused on improving public participation in utility proceedings and does not change how rates are set or how acquisitions are approved; instead, it changes the notice and comment process for affected customers and applicants.
Impact
HB322 would amend Title 66 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, specifically Section 308.1 on consumer protection and information, by adding a new subsection governing public comments on utility rate changes and system acquisitions. It would impose a new procedural obligation on public utilities and applicants to include comment-submission instructions in customer notices, and it would require the PUC to maintain at least mail and electronic channels for receiving those comments. The bill primarily affects regulated utilities, the Public Utility Commission, and utility customers who receive notices about proposed changes.
Sentiment
The available legislative history suggests generally favorable sentiment toward the bill. It was reported from the House Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee on a 26-0 vote, indicating unanimous committee support at that stage. No committee transcript is available, but the vote pattern suggests the proposal was viewed as a straightforward consumer-access and transparency measure rather than a controversial policy shift.
Contention
There is little evidence of substantive contention in the available record. Because the bill only requires notice language and comment submission options, likely areas of concern would be administrative burden on utilities, implementation details for electronic comment systems, and whether the PUC should be required to accept comments through a website in addition to email. However, no recorded objections or divided votes appear in the provided materials, and the committee vote was unanimous.