A Democratic bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill creates a program through the Department of Energy to give financial and technical help to State utility commissions. The main goal is to improve how states oversee electric and natural gas utilities so services are safe, reliable, and costs are fair. States can use the money to hire skilled staff, analyze energy affordability, and improve public participation in rate cases. It also funds independent public advocates and training programs for commission workers. Additionally, the bill requires yearly reports from states that are made public online.
Yes· 3 of 21
- Scored +6
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill mandates public reporting of utility rates and commission proceedings online and maintains a national database through the Energy Information Administration.
- Scored +5
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The legislation explicitly directs assistance toward analyzing energy affordability, supporting payment programs, and reducing barriers to utility assistance.
- Scored +5
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?
The bill strengthens the oversight of electric and natural gas utilities to ensure safe and reliable services at just and reasonable rates.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
The bill authorizes appropriations of $50,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Section 2(b)(1): This provision allows states to improve the technical and administrative capabilities of utility commissions, which can help them better analyze rate cases and study energy affordability for households.
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Section 2(b)(2): This part aims to improve public transparency and participation by supporting public education, better event notifications, and offices of public participation.
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Section 2(b)(3): This allows for the administration of an independent public advocate to intervene in rate cases specifically on behalf of residential and small business customers.
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Section 2(b)(4): This supports intervenor funding programs, which help individuals and nonprofit groups represent the interests of regular customers and small businesses during utility proceedings.
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Section 2(b)(6): This provision helps reduce barriers for customers trying to access energy bill assistance, weatherization programs, and other incentives by improving coordination between agencies and utilities.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Section 2(e)(3): If a State fails to fulfill its reporting requirements, the Secretary of State will withhold future assistance from that State and redistribute the money elsewhere, which could penalize local residents if their state government fails to report properly.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The legislation explicitly directs assistance toward analyzing energy affordability, supporting payment programs, and reducing barriers to utility assistance. Would business owners be better off under this? — Small business owners gain access to independent advocates and intervenor funding to represent their interests in utility rate proceedings. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Residential customers benefit from independent public advocacy and fairer rate cases ensuring just and reasonable energy costs. Would retired people be better off under this? — Retirees living on fixed incomes are protected from excessive utility rate hikes through enhanced advocacy and affordability programs. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — Seniors living on fixed incomes benefit from enhanced utility rate oversight and energy affordability programs. Would farmers be better off under this? — Rural agricultural producers and communities benefit from improved oversight and reliability of electric and natural gas utilities. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Rural utility customers benefit from state technical assistance and enhanced oversight ensuring reliable and fairly priced energy services. Would students be better off under this? — Recent academic graduates can benefit from fellowship opportunities created to work at state utility commissions and public advocate offices. Would people in cities be better off under this? — Urban residents served by regulated electric and gas utilities benefit from increased transparency and consumer advocacy in rate cases. Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — Veterans, particularly those on fixed or low incomes, benefit from improved utility oversight and affordability protections.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill strengthens the oversight of electric and natural gas utilities to ensure safe and reliable services at just and reasonable rates. Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The legislation supports independent public advocates and intervenor funding programs specifically to represent small business interests in rate cases. Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill provides funding for hiring specialized staff, fellows, and commission employees at state utility agencies. Is this likely to grow the economy? — By improving energy affordability and utility regulatory oversight, the bill supports stable economic conditions for small businesses and households. Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill authorizes appropriations of $50,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill mandates public reporting of utility rates and commission proceedings online and maintains a national database through the Energy Information Administration. Does this leave more decisions to the states? — The legislation directly provides financial and technical resources to empower state utility commissions in regulating local energy providers. Does this give the federal government more power? — The Department of Energy establishes a new federal assistance program with specific reporting requirements and conditions for states.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this cut the pollution that drives climate change? — The bill supports performance-based rate structures that can incentivize energy efficiency and peak demand reduction. Does this invest in rural communities? — State utility oversight improvements apply broadly to all service territories, including rural electric and gas utilities.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — The bill promotes energy affordability programs and payment assistance structures designed to help low-income households struggling with utility costs. Is this likely to reduce homelessness? — By assisting low-income households with utility bill affordability and arrears management, the bill helps prevent utility shutoffs that can lead to housing instability.
- 9/16/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Introduced in House