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5/8/2026
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Op-Ed: We need to protect those who are seriously ill, not shut off their utilities
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By Sen. Megan E. Kallman and Rep. Cherie L. Cruz
A five-year-old girl came with her mother to the Senate Committee on Commerce last month to testify in favor of SIPP, the Seriously Ill Protection Plan. She told the assembled group of adults that it is not fair to shut people’s electricity off when they are sick.
The adults in the room, and in the state, would do well to listen. There’s not a consumer in the state who hasn’t felt the pinch of their electricity bill recently. But for those struggling with a serious illness, these high costs can become life threatening, as they face the risk of having their utilities shut off at the time of their greatest need.
Since 1979, Rhode Island law has recognized that these seriously ill customers deserve protection from utility shutoffs. In 2011, the General Assembly further clarified these protections, giving customers at least three weeks grace period in documented cases of serious illness.
But especially as costs rise, and each bill becomes that much harder to pay, we believe these protections do not go far enough. Cancer does not go away in three weeks; people usually cannot recover from surgery in such a short time. Ask yourself: who is most qualified to determine how long a serious illness will last?
We believe the answer is a licensed medical provider, not the state Division of Public Utilities and Carriers.
Our current system requires that a medical provider certify the serious illness but if that illness extends beyond three weeks, it’s the DPUC who must determine if an extension is appropriate and for how long it should last.
This is backward: Those suffering from serious illness deserve protection that lasts as long as medically necessary. And neither the utility nor the DPUC should have a say in someone’s medical matters.
We have introduced the Seriously Ill Protection Plan (2026-S 2013, 2026-H 7612) to put physicians in charge of making this medical determination. In the event the medical provider cannot specify the length of the illness, customers will receive a grace period of at least three months before their utilities are shut off.
Some critics of our bill claim that three months is arbitrary. To this we say: if three months is arbitrary, the current three weeks is both arbitrary and insufficient.
These protections must exist for people who are seriously ill. They may be fighting for their lives; they may be dependent on a machine that keeps them alive, a machine that requires electricity to operate. They may need to refrigerate lifesaving medication. Reducing the administrative burden on them by extending the time before they have to petition again for relief may actually save lives.
Last year we heard from a constituent who was dying from breast cancer, facing a utility shutoff and unable to navigate the extension process. With community assistance she was able to file her paperwork and get an extension, but the fact that she needed this assistance to keep her power on showed us that the law is not working for the seriously ill and dying individuals it is supposed to protect.
The woman passed away around Thanksgiving. And it is a shame that she spent some of her final weeks arguing with the utility over whether the lights would stay on. As a society, we can certainly do better.
Rhode Island’s protections used to lead the nation. Now, several states, including Massachusetts and New Jersey, have already recognized that three weeks is too short a time to protect seriously ill customers, while states including Connecticut and New Hampshire have put doctors in charge of determining the duration of protection needed in the case of a serious illness.
Remember: These protections do not mean that bills are waived, only postponed. Utilities will still get paid and they can afford to extend a more generous grace period. Their seriously ill customers cannot afford to go without power or heat.
While we understand that changing administrative procedures has a cost for utilities, this is not a reason to ignore seriously ill Rhode Islanders who need better protection.
We can’t keep hiding behind our courts and regulatory agencies. We must do our job as legislators and take action for some of the most vulnerable members of our community now.
Sen. Meghan E. Kallman (D-Dist. 15, Pawtucket, Providence) and Rep. Cherie L. Cruz (D-Dist. 58, Pawtucket) serve in the Rhode Island General Assembly.
For more information, contact:
Tristan Grau, Publicist
State House Room B20
Providence, RI 02903
401.222.4935
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