HB 25-1234: Utility Consumer Protection - Colorado

Revised (03/31/2025) → PA2 (03/27/2025) · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended to add protections for applicants and recipients of assistance payments by prohibiting the state from requiring citizenship or immigration status information as a condition of eligibility, and restricting the sharing of such information with federal law enforcement agencies unless required by law or court order.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include explicit protections regarding citizenship and immigration status for assistance payment applicants and recipients.

ELIGIBILITY

Prohibits the state from requiring citizenship or immigration status information as a condition for receiving assistance payments.

ENFORCEMENT

Restricts the state department from sharing citizenship or immigration status information with federal law enforcement agencies unless disclosure is required by law or court order.

Rerevised (04/04/2025) → Revised (03/31/2025) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was revised to add new findings and declarations emphasizing the importance of protecting applicant privacy, preventing utility disconnections during the application process, and ensuring equitable access to low-income energy assistance. The revision also introduces a new statutory requirement prohibiting state departments from requiring applicants to provide citizenship or immigration status information on assistance applications, unless such information is federally mandated.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include new statutory language protecting applicant privacy and preventing utility disconnections during the application review period.

REQUIREMENT

Added findings and declarations emphasizing the need to protect applicant privacy, prevent utility disconnections during applications, and ensure equitable access to energy assistance.

Added new statutory requirement prohibiting state departments from requiring applicants to provide citizenship or immigration status information on low-income home energy assistance applications, unless federally required.

TECHNICAL

Removed Senate sponsorship names and updated revision status from Rerevised to Revised with amended language.

PA1 (03/10/2025) → Rerevised (04/04/2025) · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was substantially restructured between versions, with the original text containing detailed legislative declarations about consumer protection, utility disconnection moratoriums during emergencies, and data privacy protections for immigrant communities. The revised version replaces these substantive policy provisions with a much shorter version that focuses primarily on low-income energy assistance program accessibility and privacy protections for applicants, removing the broader consumer protection framework.

Scope change

The bill's scope was significantly narrowed from comprehensive utility consumer protections (including disconnection moratoriums and broad data privacy rules) to a more limited focus on low-income energy assistance program administration and privacy.

REQUIREMENT

Removed detailed legislative declaration subsections covering utility disconnection protections during extreme weather and medical emergencies.

Removed comprehensive data privacy provisions protecting utility customer information from disclosure to government entities or third parties.

Removed provisions prohibiting utilities from disclosing customer data for surveillance or deportation purposes.

Modified the bill structure to focus primarily on LEAP program administration rather than broad utility consumer protections.

ELIGIBILITY

Added specific language clarifying that low-income energy assistance programs must be accessible to all eligible individuals regardless of financial hardship.

DEFINITION

Added explicit reference to the Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) as the primary program covered.

Final Act (04/29/2025) → PA1 (03/10/2025) · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was significantly rewritten to shift focus from low-income energy assistance privacy protections to broader consumer protection for utility customers. The original version focused on preventing utilities from requiring citizenship/immigration status information and protecting applicants from disconnection during assistance applications. The new version expands protections to include data privacy for all utility customers, prohibits disconnection during extreme weather or medical emergencies, and applies protections to municipal utilities and cooperatives in addition to investor-owned utilities.

Scope change

Expanded from investor-owned utilities only to include municipal utilities and cooperative electric associations; expanded from energy assistance applicants to all utility customers; shifted primary focus from immigration privacy to broader consumer protection including data privacy and disconnection moratoriums.

SCOPE

Bill now applies to all utility customers (electric, gas, water) rather than just low-income energy assistance applicants

REQUIREMENT

New requirement prohibiting utilities from disclosing customer personal data to third parties or government entities unless required for assistance programs

New disconnection moratoriums during extreme weather (October-May), high air quality (AQI over 100), and medical emergencies (up to 180 days)

New requirement for utilities to use energy assistance system benefit charge funds for direct bill payment assistance year-round

Removed specific provisions about utility notification procedures when assistance applications are denied

ELIGIBILITY

Protection now extends to municipal utilities and cooperative electric associations that have not exempted themselves from commission regulation

Signed Act (06/04/2025) → Final Act (04/29/2025) · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill text was reformatted from a standard legislative format to a signed act format, indicating the bill has been approved by legislative officers and the Governor. The substantive content of the bill remains unchanged, focusing on consumer protection for utility customers, specifically protecting privacy regarding citizenship or immigration status for energy assistance applicants.

TECHNICAL

The document was converted from a draft bill format to a signed act format, including the addition of signature lines for legislative officers and the Governor, and a note indicating the bill has been prepared for signatures.

Minor formatting changes were applied to the bill title, sponsor names, and section headers to align with the signed act format.

Reengrossed (03/17/2025) → Signed Act (06/04/2025) · 6 edits · Jun 4, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was reengrossed with significant substantive changes, replacing a broad consumer protection framework with a focused energy assistance privacy and access bill. The new version removes provisions about general utility data privacy and disconnection protections during extreme weather, instead concentrating on protecting immigrant and low-income applicants from discrimination and ensuring timely assistance.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed from general utility customer protections to specifically focus on low-income home energy assistance program applicants, particularly regarding citizenship/immigration status privacy and disconnection holds during application review.

SCOPE

Removed broad legislative declaration about general utility consumer protection, data privacy, and disconnection protections during extreme weather or medical emergencies.

ELIGIBILITY

Added requirement that state department cannot require citizenship or immigration status information on energy assistance applications unless required for eligibility.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement that state department cannot share citizenship or immigration status information with federal law enforcement unless required by law or court order.

Added requirement for investor-owned public utilities to place 60-day disconnection hold when notified that an assistance application is pending review.

TIMELINE

Added 60-day deadline for applicants to correct incomplete documentation after denial notice, with final deadline of June 15 of the calendar year.

DEFINITION

Added definition of 'investor-owned public utility' to exclude cooperative electric associations and municipally owned utilities.

Engrossed (03/14/2025) → Reengrossed (03/17/2025) · 3 edits · Apr 4, 2025

MINOR

The bill was reengrossed to add new co-sponsors and update the bill summary link with a 3rd Reading Unamended status. A substantive change was made to Section 12, which now requires the state department to provide notice of denied assistance applications within seven calendar days and include a correction deadline of at least 60 days, extending the deadline to no later than June 15.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on consumer protection measures for electric and gas utility customers, but the procedural requirements for handling assistance application denials have been modified to provide applicants more time to correct documentation.

TECHNICAL

Added new co-sponsors to the House sponsorship list: Bacon, Bird, Boesenecker, English, Jackson, Lindsay, Rutinel, and Story.

Updated the bill summary link to reflect 3rd Reading Unamended status and added the date March 17, 2025.

TIMELINE

Modified the timeline for assistance application denials to require notice within seven calendar days and establish a correction deadline of at least 60 days after notice, with a maximum deadline of June 15.

Introduced (02/12/2025) → Engrossed (03/14/2025) · 5 edits · Apr 4, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was amended to remove references to gas utilities and expand the legislative declaration to include expanding support for low-income households. The most significant change is the addition of new provisions requiring the state department to not require citizenship or immigration status information on assistance applications, and to provide applicants with a 60-day window to correct incomplete applications before denial.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed by removing gas utilities from the data protection provisions, and expanded to include low-income home energy assistance program requirements.

SCOPE

Removed reference to gas utilities from the data protection section, now only covering electric utilities.

ELIGIBILITY

Added requirement that state departments cannot require applicants to provide citizenship or immigration status on assistance applications.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement for state departments to provide notice and a 60-day deadline for applicants to correct incomplete documentation before denying assistance.

Modified legislative declaration to remove reference to gas utilities and add language about expanding support for low-income households.

TECHNICAL

Changed bill status from 'Introduced' to 'Engrossed' with amendments adopted on March 14, 2025.

Utility Consumer Protection

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