---
title: HB 641. Public utilities; require electric supplier to hold the proposed discontinuation of electrical service to a residential customer who suffers from a serious illness in abeyance for a certain period of time
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb641
cite_as: HB 641, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb641
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb641.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb641/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70840
date: 2026-03-23
status: engrossed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb640.md
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 612
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb641.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 641
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-03-06
last_action: Senate Read Second Time
sponsors:
- Marvin Lim
- Karen Mathiak
- William Werkheiser
- Karla Drenner
- Karen Lupton
- Kasey Carpenter
- Frank Ginn
text_version: Comm Sub
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB641/2025
upstream_id: 1985984
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- utility shutoffs
- electric service
- public health
- consumer protection
- medical certification
---
# HB 641. Public utilities; require electric supplier to hold the proposed discontinuation of electrical service to a residential customer who suffers from a serious illness in abeyance for a certain period of time
## Text
The Senate Committee on Regulated Industries and Utilities offered the following
substitute to HB 641:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 3 of Title 46 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
electric services, so as to require certain electric suppliers to have in place a written policy
regarding discontinuation of electric service to residential consumers with serious,
life-threatening conditions; to provide for furnishing of such policy to consumers; to provide
an effective date and applicability; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws;
and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 3 of Title 46, relating to electrical service, is amended in Code Section 46-3-11,
relating to application by electric supplier of discriminatory rates, charges, or service rules
or regulations and prohibited acts by electric suppliers generally, by adding a new subsection
to read as follows:
"(c) Beginning January 1, 2027, any electric supplier that serves residential consumers
shall have in place a written policy regarding discontinuation of electric service to
residential consumers who have a serious, life-threatening condition and have provided
the electric supplier with a written statement from a physician, county board of health,
hospital, or clinic identifying the such condition and its expected duration, and certifying
that the condition would be aggravated by a discontinuation of electric service, and shall
furnish such written policy upon request by a consumer or potential consumer."
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia Senate substitute for HB 641 would require electric utilities serving homes to adopt a written policy on delaying service shutoffs for residential customers with serious, life-threatening medical conditions, starting January 1, 2027.
### Plain-language summary
Currently, Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 46-3-11) bars electric suppliers from applying discriminatory rates or rules but does not specifically require a policy for handling shutoffs when a customer has a serious illness. This bill adds a new subsection to that law.
Starting January 1, 2027, any electric supplier that serves residential customers would have to maintain a written policy covering how it handles discontinuation of service for customers who have a serious, life-threatening medical condition. To qualify, the customer must give the utility a written statement from a physician, county board of health, hospital, or clinic identifying the condition, its expected duration, and confirming that losing electric service would make the condition worse. Utilities would also have to give a copy of this written policy to any consumer or potential consumer who asks for it.
### What it does
- Requires electric suppliers serving residential customers to maintain a written policy on delaying service shutoffs for customers with serious, life-threatening medical conditions, starting January 1, 2027.
- Requires customers to submit written certification from a physician, county board of health, hospital, or clinic describing the condition, its expected duration, and how losing power would worsen it.
- Requires electric suppliers to hand over a copy of the written policy to any consumer or potential consumer who requests it.
- Adds this requirement as a new subsection to Georgia's existing law on electric supplier conduct (O.C.G.A. § 46-3-11).
### Who it affects
Residential electric customers with serious, life-threatening medical conditions, the physicians, county boards of health, hospitals, and clinics who provide certification letters, and electric suppliers across Georgia that serve homes, who must create and disclose these shutoff policies.
### Why it matters
Households with a seriously ill family member would gain a documented process for slowing down electricity shutoffs, potentially preventing power loss during a medical crisis. Utilities would take on a new administrative duty to write, maintain, and share these policies with the public on request.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 adds a new subsection (c) to O.C.G.A. § 46-3-11 requiring residential electric suppliers to have a written shutoff-delay policy for customers with serious, life-threatening conditions.
- The policy applies once a customer provides written certification from a physician, county board of health, hospital, or clinic naming the condition, its expected duration, and confirming service loss would worsen it.
- Electric suppliers must furnish the written policy to any consumer or potential consumer who requests it.
- The requirement takes effect January 1, 2027.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Engrossed (2026-03-06)
- Last action: Senate Read Second Time (2026-03-23)
- Sponsors: Marvin Lim, Karen Mathiak, William Werkheiser, Karla Drenner, Karen Lupton, Kasey Carpenter, Frank Ginn
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70840
> The history, votes, and amendments (612 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb641.md?full=1