Committee unanimously approves bill letting utility customers opt in and opt out of payment reporting

The committee considered House Bill 25 96, which staff summarized as requiring public utilities to offer customers the option to opt in and at any time opt out of having timely payments reported to nationwide credit reporting agencies. "House bill 25 96 requires public utilities to offer customers the option to opt in and at any time opt out of having their timely payments reported to a nationwide credit reporting agency," staff read into the record.

Committee discussion was brief; the chair asked for negative votes and hearing none the bill passed unanimously. The transcript includes no recorded roll-call tally. Proponents framed the bill as a consumer-protection measure giving customers choice over credit-reporting of utility payment history.