Pennsylvania lawmakers are circulating a proposal to protect residents who rely on electrically powered medical equipment by creating an opt-in registry and funding backup-power solutions. The registry, updated quarterly, would record backup-power needs, emergency contacts and outage-priority information. Registered customers would be shielded from utility shutoffs for nonpayment for up to one year, and a grant program would help pay for generators and battery packs. Sponsors are building support before formally filing the bill.
Pennsylvania Proposal Would Bar Utility Shutoffs, Fund Backup Power for Residents on Life-Sustaining Devices
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For Pennsylvanians who depend on electrically powered medical devices, even a short outage can become life-threatening. Lawmakers in the state House are circulating a proposal designed to give those residents stronger protections by combining outage planning, direct backup-power support and tighter limits on when utilities may disconnect service.
Key Elements of the Proposal
Opt-In Registry: The bill would require utilities to maintain a voluntary, opt-in registry of customers who rely on life-sustaining medical equipment. The registry would be refreshed quarterly and record each registrant's backup-power needs, emergency contact information and outage-priority details so utilities can better prepare for and respond to outages.
Protection From Shutoffs: Registered customers would be protected from utility shutoffs for nonpayment for up to one year, giving medically vulnerable people greater stability while they pursue payment arrangements or financial assistance.
Backup-Power Grants: The legislation would create a grant program to help eligible residents cover the cost of backup generators, battery packs and other resilience equipment needed to keep life-sustaining devices running during outages.
Sponsors And Status
State Rep. Jim Prokopiak (Bucks County) is leading the effort, with co-sponsors Rep. Lisa Borowski (Delaware County) and Rep. Melissa Cerrato (Montgomery County). The bill has not been formally introduced yet; the sponsors are circulating a memo and building support ahead of a formal filing.
This registry would provide residents with the option to voluntarily be added… so that they could receive notifications about an outage. Additionally, this legislation would create a grant program for generators and battery packs for residents with life-sustaining equipment and prohibit utilities from cutting off their service for nonpayment for up to a year.
Broader Context
Pennsylvania’s proposal is part of a wider, state-level effort to curb dangerous shutoffs and strengthen resilience. Lawmakers in Kentucky have advanced a bipartisan ban on shutoffs, more than 30 states still permit utility shutoffs during deadly heatwaves, and Rhode Island officials have promoted energy-storage projects to help communities withstand outages.
Next Steps: Sponsors are seeking co-sponsors and stakeholder input before formally introducing the bill. If introduced, the measure will move through committee hearings and public comment where utilities, consumer advocates and health-care stakeholders can weigh in.
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