Bill > A5384

Introduced Session

This bill requires an electric public utility (utility) to reimburse a residential customer (customer) who experienced a "sustained interruption" caused by a "major event," as those terms are defined in the bill, for certain costs of spoiled food and medication, due to the lack of refrigeration during the sustained interruption, upon the customer filing a claim for the loss in a form and manner established by the Board of Public Utilities (BPU). Under the bill, a customer that experiences a sustained interruption may be reimbursed for up to $500 for the amount paid for the food that spoiled. For any reimbursement request over $250, a customer is to provide to the utility an itemized list of the spoiled food and proof of purchase, including an itemized receipt. A customer that experiences a sustained interruption may be reimbursed for the full cost of the amount paid for the medication that was compromised. For any reimbursement request over $500, a customer is to provide to the utility an itemized list of the compromised medication and proof of purchase, including an itemized receipt. No later than 90 days after the effective date of the bill, each utility in the State is required to develop and implement a system for customers of the utility to apply for a reimbursement online via the utility's Internet website. Applications for a reimbursement are to be made in a form and manner as determined by the BPU and customers are to be reimbursed no later than 30 days after a utility's receipt of a reimbursement request. The bill prohibits any costs incurred by a utility pursuant to the bill to be recoverable from ratepayers of the utility.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Daniel Benson (D)*,  Angela Mcknight (D)*,  Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D)*,  Annette Quijano (D), 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee (on 02/23/2021)