An Act amending Title 66 (Public Utilities) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in service and facilities, further providing for notices before service to landlord terminated.
Summary
HB952 amends Pennsylvania’s Public Utility Code to require additional notice to landlords before a public utility terminates service to a property. If a landlord has previously notified the utility in writing of the landlord’s ownership interest in the property, the utility must give the landlord written notice of the proposed termination at least seven days in advance. The notice may be sent by first-class mail or, if the landlord has affirmatively consented, by email, text message, or another electronic messaging format consistent with commission privacy guidelines.
If the underlying reason for termination is still unresolved, the utility must also send a final written notice by first-class mail to the landlord on the day service is scheduled to be terminated. The bill expressly excludes landlord ratepayers from this added notice requirement and would take effect 60 days after enactment.
Impact
The bill would amend Title 66, section 1523 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, expanding the notice obligations of public utilities before terminating service to a landlord-connected property. It would create a new statutory right for notified landlords to receive advance warning of potential shutoffs, while also setting conditions for electronic notice and preserving a final mailed notice requirement. Utilities would need to update termination procedures and notice practices, and landlords who are not the account holder would gain earlier awareness of service interruptions affecting their properties.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes, the measure appears to be a procedural consumer-protection and property-management bill rather than a controversial policy change. Its sponsors suggest support from members interested in utility notice fairness and landlord protections. With no transcripts or vote history available, there is no documented opposition or broader legislative sentiment in the provided materials.
Contention
The main policy issue is the balance between protecting landlords from unexpected utility shutoffs and avoiding additional administrative burdens on utilities. A likely point of contention is whether seven days’ advance notice is sufficient or whether it could delay termination processes in cases involving nonpayment or safety concerns. Another possible concern is the electronic-notice provision, which requires affirmative consent and adherence to privacy guidelines, as well as the bill’s exclusion of landlord ratepayers, which limits the new protections to landlords who are not themselves the utility customer.
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