HB898 • 2026

Electric utilities, certain; SCC to determine maximum amount of fees for disconnection, etc.

An Act to direct the State Corporation Commission to determine maximum allowable fees for disconnection and reconnection charged by certain electric utilities; disconnections for nonpayment.

Energy

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Herring
Last action: 2026-04-13
Official status: Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify when the SCC must make its decision or how it will affect other types of services not regulated by the SCC.

Setting Limits on Utility Fees

This law tells the State Corporation Commission to set limits on how much money certain electric utilities can charge when they turn off and reconnect a customer's service because bills are unpaid.

What This Bill Does

The State Corporation Commission must decide the highest fees that certain electric utilities can charge for disconnecting or reconnecting residential customers who haven't paid their bills.
Electric companies, natural gas suppliers, water suppliers, and wastewater service providers have to provide information about these fees in a relevant cost recovery proceeding with the Commission.

Who It Names or Affects

Residential customers who might face disconnection for not paying their bills
Certain electric utilities regulated by the State Corporation Commission

Terms To Know

State Corporation Commission (SCC): A government agency that regulates certain businesses in Virginia.
Utility: An electric company, natural gas supplier, water supplier, or wastewater service provider subject to the SCC's regulation.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not specify when the State Corporation Commission must make its decision.
It is unclear how this will affect other types of utilities or services that are not regulated by the SCC.

Bill History

2026-04-13 Governor
Approved by Governor-Chapter 697 (effective 7/1/2026)
2026-04-13 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0697)
2026-04-06 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB898)
2026-03-31 House
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026
2026-03-31 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-31 House
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026
2026-03-31 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-31 House
Signed by Speaker
2026-03-31 House
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026
2026-03-31 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-30 Senate
Signed by President
2026-03-30 House
Enrolled
2026-03-30 House
Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB898ER)
2026-03-11 Senate
Read third time
2026-03-11 Senate
Read third time
2026-03-11 Senate
Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-10 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-03-10 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-03-10 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-03-10 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-10 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-03-09 Commerce and Labor
Reported from Commerce and Labor (12-Y 3-N)
2026-02-16 Labor and Commerce
Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB898)
2026-02-12 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
2026-02-12 Commerce and Labor
Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor
2026-02-11 House
Read third time and passed House (84-Y 14-N 0-A)
2026-02-10 House
Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar
2026-02-10 House
Read second time
2026-02-10 House
committee substitute agreed to
2026-02-10 House
Engrossed by House - committee substitute
2026-02-09 House
Read first time
2026-02-06 Labor and Commerce
Committee substitute printed 26106813D-H1
2026-02-05 Labor and Commerce
Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute (22-Y 0-N)
2026-02-03 Subcommittee #3
Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 1-N)
2026-02-03 Subcommittee #3
House subcommittee offered
2026-01-25 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB898)
2026-01-22 Subcommittee #3
Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #3
2026-01-13 House
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104191D
2026-01-13 Labor and Commerce
Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce

Official Summary Text

State Corporation Commission to determine maximum fees for disconnection of utility service for nonpayment.
Directs the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) to determine, in the next relevant cost recovery proceeding for certain utilities, the maximum allowable amount of fees for disconnection and reconnection such utilities may charge to residential customers disconnected from service due to nonpayment of bills or fees. The bill defines "utility" as an electric company, natural gas supplier, or water supplier or wastewater service provider subject to the Commission's regulation.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

An Act to direct the State Corporation Commission to determine maximum allowable fees for disconnection and reconnection charged by certain electric utilities; disconnections for nonpayment.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1.
§ 1. That in the next relevant utility proceeding for cost recovery initiated after July 1, 2026, including any biennial review conducted under §
56-585.1
or
56-585.8
of the Code of Virginia, the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) shall determine the maximum allowable amount of fees for disconnection and reconnection that such utility may charge to residential customers disconnected from service due to nonpayment of bills or fees. As part of such proceeding, the utility shall submit information related to disconnection of residential customers for nonpayment of bills or fees and the amounts charged by the utility for disconnecting or reconnecting service to such customers. Such information shall include written testimony and a cost analysis related to disconnection or reconnection fees currently being assessed to residential customers as related to disconnections for nonpayment. As part of its final order in any such proceeding, the Commission shall issue a determination of the maximum allowable fees for such utility pursuant to this act. As used in this act, "utility" means an electric company, a natural gas supplier, or a water supplier or wastewater service provider that is subject to the regulation of the Commission.