,i  #aai? ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4
 ,r4 #ajjha  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(         
,,repres5tatives  ,augu/ #aj1 #bjbf,mr4 
,v9dman introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0  
ref]r$ to ! ,committee on ,en]gy &      
,comm]ce  ,a ,,bill  ,to condition !    
grant+ ( ,/ate en]gy program f9ancial   
assi/ance on compliance ) rules bann+   
spuri\s *>ges by regulat$ electric      
utilities1 & = o!r purposes4  #a4 ,%ort 
title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z ! ,no     
,utility ,junk ,fees ,act4  #b4 ,f9d+s  
,congress f9ds ! foll[+3  7#a7 ,regulat$
 electric utilities hold special        
privileges & obligations to s]ve !      
public int]e/1 includ+ keep+ en]gy bills
 reasonable & af=dable = resid5tial     
consum]s4  7#b7 ,spuri\s *>ges by       
regulat$ electric utilities con/itute an
 unju/ifi$ extraction ( money f         
resid5tial consum]s beyond ! legitimate 
co/s ( electricity deliv]y1 contradict+ 
utilities' fundam5tal obligation z      
/ew>ds ( public infra/ructure4  7#c7    
,paym5t conv5i5ce fees & o!r junk fees  

directly increase ! total co/ ( en]gy = 
resid5tial consum]s1 mak+ electricity   
less af=dable & und]m9+ ef=ts to exp&   
access to reliable en]gy4  7#d7 ,_m     
regulat$ electric utilities impose fees 
on paym5t *annels t co/ !m little to    
no?+ to process1 extract+ pure pr(it "u 
! guise ( co/ recov]y4  7#e7 ,condition+
 ! grant+ ( ,/ate en]gy program f9ancial
 assi/ance on ! elim9ation ( spuri\s    
*>ges is a reasonable ex]cise ( ! sp5d+ 
p[] ( ,congress to ensure ,f$]al en]gy  
effici5cy inve/m5ts b5efit resid5tial   
consum]s r ?an subsidize utility fee    
extraction4  #c4 ,def9itions ,9 ?is     
,act3  7#a7 ,co/ ( acceptance ,! t]m co/
 ( acceptance-- 7,a7 means ! direct1    
docum5t$ co/ incurr$ by a regulat$      
electric utility1 or its ?ird-p>ty      
s]vice provid]1 = process+ a paym5t     
?r\gh a paym5t *annel1 includ+ co/s     
incurr$ f int]*ange fees1 gateway or    
processor fees1 paym5t fraud prev5tion  
*>ges1 & labor co/s directly            
attributable to process+ ! paym5t ?\gh !

 paym5t *annel2 &  7,b7 does n include  
g5]al ov]head1 pr(it m>g9s1 or          
op]ational co/s incurr$ by ! regulat$   
electric utility1 or its ?ird-p>ty      
s]vice provid]1 t are n directly ti$ to 
paym5t process+4  7#b7 ,paym5t *annel ,!
 t]m paym5t *annel means any me*anism by
 :i* a resid5tial consum] may make a    
paym5t = electric en]gy consum$ by !    
resid5tial consum] & includes ! mail1 ! 
telephone1 ! int]net1 automat$ cle>+    
h\ses1 & 9-p]son s]vices provid$ at an  
(fice or kiosk4  7#c7 ,regulat$ electric
 utility ,! t]m regulat$ electric       
utility has ! mean+ giv5 ! t]m ,/ate    
regulat$ electric utility 9 section #c (
 ! ,public ,utility ,regulatory         
,policies ,act ( #aigh 7#af ,u4,s4,c4   
#bfjb74  7#d7 ,resid5tial consum] ,! t]m
 resid5tial consum] means any individual
 t pur*ases electric en]gy = p]sonal1   
family1 or h\sehold purposes4  7#e7     
,secret>y ,! t]m ,secret>y means !      
,secret>y ( ,en]gy4  7#f7 ,spuri\s *>ge 
,! t]m spuri\s *>ge means any *>ge      

impos$ by a regulat$ electric utility1  
or its ?ird-p>ty s]vice provid]1 on a   
resid5tial consum] z a condition (      
accept+ a paym5t = electric en]gy made  
us+ a paym5t *annel t--  7,a7 exce$s !  
great] (-- 7i7 ! am\nt equal to #aej    
p]c5t ( ! regulat$ electric utility's   
docum5t$ co/ ( acceptance2 or  7ii7     
#c4jj2  7,b7 is impos$ on a resid5tial  
consum] :o us$ a paym5t *annel ?\gh :i* 
! regulat$ electric utility incurr$ no  
docum5t$ co/ ( acceptance1 includ+      
9-p]son paym5ts at utility (fices1      
automatic recurr+ paym5ts1 direct       
automat$ cle>+ h\se transf]s1 & mail    
paym5ts2 or  7,c7 is impos$ )\t         
affirmative1 prior1 & cle> disclosure   
(-- 7i7 ! am\nt ( ! *>ge2  7ii7 ! reason
 = ! *>ge2  7iii7 ! total am\nt due1    
includ+ ! *>ge & any o!r am\nt due2 &   
7iv7 in=mation ab\t a paym5t *annel t   
c\ld be us$ by ! resid5tial consum] t   
does n include ! *>ge4  7#g7 ,/ate ,!   
t]m ,/ate has ! mean+ giv5 su* t]m 9    
section #c ( ! ,en]gy ,policy &         

,cons]vation ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fbjb74
  7#h7 ,/ate en]gy program f9ancial     
assi/ance ,! t]m ,/ate en]gy program    
f9ancial assi/ance means ! f9ancial     
assi/ance grant$ to a ,/ate "u section  
#cfc ( ! ,en]gy ,policy & ,cons]vation  
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fcbc74  #d4        
,condition on grant+ ,/ate en]gy program
 f9ancial assi/ance  7a7 ,9 g5]al       
,not)/&+ "p ,d ( ! ,en]gy ,policy &     
,cons]vation ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fcba  
et seq471 beg9n+ ) ! fir/ full fiscal   
ye> foll[+ ! date ( enactm5t ( ?is      
section1 ! ,secret>y %all )hold #aj     
p]c5t ( ! am\nt ( ,/ate en]gy program   
f9ancial assi/ance to be grant$ to a    
,/ate 9 a fiscal ye> unless ! ,secret>y 
det]m9es ! ,/ate--  7#a7 prohibits      
electric utilities regulat$ by ! ,/ate f
 impos+ spuri\s *>ges on resid5tial     
consum]s2  7#b7 requires electric       
utilities regulat$ by ! ,/ate to1 :5    
bill+ a resid5tial consum] = ! electric 
en]gy consum$ by ! resid5tial consum]1  
disclose to su* consum]--  7,a7 ! am\nt 

( any *>ge appli$ t reflects a co/      
associat$ ) process+ ! paym5t submitt$  
by ! resid5tial consum]2  7,b7 ! reason 
= any su* *>ge2  7,c7 in=mation ab\t a  
paym5t *annel t c\ld be us$ by !        
resid5tial consum] to pay ! bill t w\ld 
n incur su* *>ge2 &  7,d7 ! total am\nt 
due1 includ+ any su* *>ge & any o!r     
am\nt due2  7#c7 requires electric      
utilities regulat$ by ! ,/ate to makes  
available to resid5tial consum]s at lea/
 "o fee-free paym5t *annel t is         
accessible )\t int]net access2  7#d7    
prohibits electric utilities regulat$ by
 ! ,/ate f impos+ fees on automatic     
recurr+ paym5ts & electronic fund       
transf]s 7z su* t]m is def9$ 9 section  
#ijc ( ! ,electronic ,fund ,transf] ,act
 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afic;a77 by resid5tial 
consum]s2 &  7#e7 en=ces ! prohibitions 
& requirem5ts ( p>agraphs 7#a7 ?r\gh    
7#d71 includ+ by inve/igat+ compla9ts1  
impos+ p5alties = noncompliance1 & all[+
 resid5tial consum]s to seek recov]y (  
unlawfully assess$ fees4  7b7           

,compliance  7#a7 ,submission (         
docum5tation ,n lat] ?an #ah mon?s aft] 
! date ( enactm5t ( ?is section1 &      
annually !reaft]1 ea* ,/ate %all submit 
to ! ,secret>y docum5tation t           
demon/rates ! ,/ate's compliance )      
subsection 7a74  7#b7 ,det]m9ation (    
compliance ,n lat] ?an #fj days aft]    
receiv+ complete docum5tation submitt$  
by a ,/ate "u p>agraph 7#a71 ! ,secret>y
 %all det]m9e :e!r ! ,/ate is 9         
compliance ) subsection 7a74  7c7       
,re/oration ,if ! ,secret>y )holds f a  
,/ate f9ancial assi/ance "u subsection  
7a71 ! ,secret>y %all grant to ! ,/ate !
 )held f9ancial assi/ance 9 ! foll[+    
fiscal ye> if ! ,/ate is 9 compliance = 
t fiscal ye>4  7d7 ,cure p]iod ,if !    
,secret>y det]m9es a ,/ate does n comply
 ) subsection 7a7 = a fiscal ye>1 !     
,/ate %all h #ij days to rem$y !        
noncompliance be=e ! ,secret>y )holds   
f9ancial assi/ance f ! ,/ate "u         
subsection 7a74  7e7 ,me?ods (          
compliance ,a ,/ate may comply )        

subsection 7a7 ?r\gh any legally b9d+   
me*anism "u ,/ate law1 includ+          
legislation1 adm9i/rative rulemak+1 or  
b9d+ ord]s ( a ,/ate regulatory         
au?ority1 provid$ su* me*anism a*ieves !
 consum] protections requir$ "u su*     
subsection4  7f7 ,adm9i/ration  7#a7 ,9 
g5]al ,= purposes ( c>ry+ out ?is       
section1 ! ,secret>y %all-- 7,a7 e/abli%
 proc$ures = ,/ates to submit compliance
 docum5tation "u subsection 7b72  7,b7  
ma9ta9 a public database t id5tifies !  
/atus ( ea* ,/ate's compliance )        
subsection 7a72  7,c7 provide te*nical  
assi/ance to ,/ates to comply )         
subsection 7a72  7,d7 issue guidance    
int]pret+ ?is section2  7,e7 e/abli% a  
process to appeal a det]m9ation by !    
,secret>y t a ,/ate does n comply )     
subsection 7a72 &  7,f7 annually report 
to ,congress on ,/ate compliance rates4 
7#b7 ,deadl9e = initial regulations ,!  
,secret>y %all promulgate regulations to
 c>ry out ?is section n lat] ?an #i     
mon?s aft] ! date ( enactm5t ( ?is      

section4