{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://delbene.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3263", "DelBene, Blunt Rochester Introduce Legislation to Protect Families from Utility Shutoffs During Extreme Weather Events", "2022-11-15", "2022", "2022-11", "Democrat", "House", "WA", "Suzan K. DelBene", "D000617", "delbene.house.gov", "delbene", "https://delbene.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, Congresswomen Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE-At-Large) introduced the Preventing Unnecessary Deaths During Life-Threatening Events (PUDDLE) Act to protect families from having their electricity shut off during extreme weather events like heat waves and cold snaps.\n\nThe Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) prohibits electric utilities from shutting off home electricity for overdue bills when doing so would be dangerous for someone\u2019s health. This legislation would clarify that extreme hot and cold weather events are covered by PURPA.\n\nCurrently, 19 states have shutoff moratoriums for both cold and hot weather, 22 states have only cold weather shutoff moratoriums, including Washington state, and 9 states have neither. This bill would ensure that all states have these life-saving utility shutoff protections.\n\nWashington state has seen increased instances of extreme weather in recent years. 157 people died in the 2021 heat wave, called the deadliest weather-related event in state history.\n\n\u201cAs extreme weather events across America are becoming more frequent and severe, we must protect families from having their electricity shut off during these dangerous incidents,\u201d said DelBene. \u201cRight now, only 19 states currently have these protections for both cold and heat, and Washington only has protections for cold weather. This legislation will help ensure families in every state have these lifesaving protections.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe know that one of the most frightening scenarios that families across the United States can experience is having their utilities shut off in the face of extreme weather events. As these events become more severe and more frequent - Congress must step up to help protect American families from the dangers of those potential shutoffs,\u201d said Blunt Rochester. \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to partner with Rep. DelBene to introduce this vital legislation that creates shutoff moratoriums for both cold and hot weather, protecting families in Delaware and across the country.\u201d\n\nThis legislation would be especially beneficial for minority communities, who are disproportionately impacted by utility shutoffs. Black households are twice as likely as white households to face utility shutoffs.\n\nCurrently, over one in six households \u2013 more than 20 million families \u2013 are behind on their utility bills.\n\nThis legislation is supported by 27 organizations, including the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Natural Resources Defense Council, Center for Biological Diversity, Food and Water Watch, El Centro de la Raza, Statewide Poverty Action Network, and the Washington Build Back Black Alliance.\n\n\u201cThe additional protections against rising summer temperatures contained in this bill are long overdue and will help to protect some of the nation\u2019s most vulnerable households,\u201d said Mark Wolfe, Executive Director of National Energy Assistance Directors Association. \u201cThese protections are especially important now that we\u2019ve had two years of back to back record summer temperatures and all signs point to continued heat waves into the future placing families who can\u2019t afford the cost of energy at risk if shut-off.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:24:37Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://delbene.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3263"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8988608606159687, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}