Indiana § 8-1-47-5 - Requirement for electricity supplier to offer low income customer assistance program; programs offered before July 1, 2026; funding or enrollment caps; duty to required program allocation in trust if cap reached

§ 8-1-47-5. Requirement for electricity supplier to offer low income customer assistance program; programs offered before July 1, 2026; funding or enrollment caps; duty to required program allocation in trust if cap reached

Sec. 5. (a) Not later than July 1, 2026, an electricity supplier shall offer a low income customer assistance program that provides financial assistance to low income customers for the payment of monthly bills for utility service provided by the electricity supplier. A program that:

(1) is offered by the electricity supplier before July 1, 2026;

(2) provides financial assistance to low income customers for the payment of monthly bills for utility service provided by the electricity supplier;

(3) remains in effect on July 1, 2026; and

(4) includes eligibility criteria consistent with section 3(2) of this chapter;

qualifies as a low income customer assistance program for purposes of this section.

(b) Subject to subsection (c), an electricity supplier may establish:

(1) per customer funding limits;

(2) enrollment limits; or

(3) other limits, caps, or restrictions;

applicable to the low income customer assistance program based on funds available for the program from governmental agencies or programs or from other third parties, including voluntary charitable contributions from nonprofit organizations or from employees, customers, or shareholders of the electricity supplier.

(c) If at any time during a calendar year:

(1) an electricity supplier is no longer able to offer assistance to additional eligible customers under the electricity supplier's low income customer assistance program as a result of any limit, cap, or restriction established under subsection (b); and

(2) the full amount allocated or to be allocated to the program under section 6(1) of this chapter has not been allocated to low income customers enrolled in the program at the time the limit, cap, or restriction is reached;

the portion of the amount allocated or to be allocated to the program under section 6(1) of this chapter that has not been allocated to low income customers enrolled in the program at the time the limit, cap, or restriction is reached shall be segregated from all other funds of the electricity supplier and held in trust for allocation to low income customers enrolled in the electricity supplier's low income customer assistance program in the following calendar year.

As added by P.L.36-2026, SEC.11.