AN ACT REQUIRING AN AUDIT OF UNPAID UTILITY BILLS DUE TO FINANCIAL HARDSHIP.

SB 383 requires public utilities and the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to conduct an annual audit of hardship programs that prevent utility shut-offs due to financial hardship. The audit must examine how utilities and PURA attempt to recover unpaid bills from these customers and whether those costs are later passed to other ratepayers. Additionally, PURA must provide monthly public updates on the total amount of unpaid bills under these hardship protections and progress toward recovery. This bill directly affects utility customers qualifying for hardship protections and requires transparency in how unpaid bills are managed and recovered.