Consumer protection committee advances multiple bills to help consumers and ratepayers, safeguard workers

Includes bills to reauthorize One Call, provide consumer subscription protections

Rep. Robert Matzie    September 30, 2024 | 3:32 PM

HARRISBURG, Sept. 30 – In a voting meeting on multiple bills today, the PA House Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee approved measures to protect consumers from unfair sales and marketing tactics and reauthorize soon-to-expire protections for ratepayers and utility workers, Majority Chairman Rob Matzie announced.

“We moved some common-sense bills today that address real-world problems, from the need for greater flexibility in utility payment plans to protecting consumers from unfair solicitation and subscription tactics,” Matzie said. “We also advanced bills to reauthorize some important laws that are expiring, including the PA One Call safe digging law. I’m looking forward to getting all these measures up for a full House vote and across the finish line.”  

The specific bills advanced include:

  • H.B. 1077 (Matzie), which would re-authorize and update Pennsylvania’s utility shutoff protection law to provide more flexibility to consumers. 
  • H.B. 2189 (Matzie), which would re-authorize the soon-to-expire PA One Call law that safeguards workers and prevents major damage to underground utility lines.
  • H.B. 116 (Ciresi), which would give consumers signed up for recurring subscriptions a simple, one-click option to cancel.
  • H.B. 2557 (Borowski), which would bring greater transparency and consumer protections to “negative option” subscriptions that leave consumers who sign up for introductory offers automatically subscribed although they never specifically opted in.
  • H.B. 1578 (Mullins), which would require that all retail electric and natural gas suppliers and their representatives who solicit customers to pass a required online training and education exam and be certified by the Public Utility Commission. 

In addition, the committee approved the following resolutions: 

  • H.R. 511 (Matzie) designating the week of Sept. 23-29 as “Rail Safety Week” in Pennsylvania.
  • H.R. 358 (Madsen) urging the FCC, NFL and broadcast partners to consider fan input for secondary market assignments.
  • H.R. 372 (Kephart) designating April 18, 2024, as “Lineworker’s Appreciation Day in Pennsylvania.”

Rep. Matzie’s comments from the meeting are available here: 093024 Matzie Consumer Protection VOSOT.mp4.
Video of the hearing is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4mJFmYK9Xk&list=PLjtqNtfs0bgWW2Z55MW3dLdrjshP7cI8o&t=26s