State Representative Kimberly Du Buclet | https://ilhousedems.com/project/kimberly-du-buclet/
State Representative Kimberly Du Buclet | https://ilhousedems.com/project/kimberly-du-buclet/
According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Amends the Public Utilities Act and the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Prohibits alternative retail electric and gas suppliers from paying incentive-based compensation to people engaged in in-person solicitation or telemarketing. Provides that certain tariffs may be filed by an electric utility with respect to electric utilities providing supply service through an electric aggregation program. Provides that an alternative retail electric utility supplier or alternative gas supplier shall not automatically renew a consumer's enrollment after the current term of the contract expires when the renewed contract provides that the consumer will be charged a rate higher than the current contract rate unless: (i) the alternative retail electric supplier or alternative gas supplier complies with specified notice and disclosure requirements; and (ii) the customer expressly consents to the contract renewal in writing or by electronic signature at least 30 days, but no more than 60 days, before the contract expires."
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, the bill amends the Public Utilities Act and the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to set regulations for alternative retail electric and gas suppliers. It prohibits these suppliers from offering incentive-based compensation to representatives involved in in-person or telemarketing sales. The bill also restricts automatic contract renewals for these suppliers, requiring explicit consumer consent if the new contract terms involve a rate increase, with consent needing written or electronic confirmation between 30 and 60 days before contract expiration. Additionally, the bill mandates annual submission of rates charged to residential customers, transparency of rate information on supplier websites, and enhanced verification processes for changing suppliers or accessing customer data. It also allows electric utilities to file tariffs related to electric aggregation programs and stipulates consumer rights and protections regarding solicitation and billing practices. The bill is designed to ensure consumer protection and transparency in the competitive retail energy market.
Kimberly Du Buclet has proposed one other bill since the beginning of the 104th session.
Buclet graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a BS.
Kimberly Du Buclet is currently serving in the Illinois State House, representing the state's 5th House District. She replaced previous state representative Lamont Robinson Jr. in 2023.
Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.
You can read more about bills and other measures here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| HB1284 | 01/13/2025 | Amends the Public Utilities Act and the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Prohibits alternative retail electric and gas suppliers from paying incentive-based compensation to people engaged in in-person solicitation or telemarketing. Provides that certain tariffs may be filed by an electric utility with respect to electric utilities providing supply service through an electric aggregation program. Provides that an alternative retail electric utility supplier or alternative gas supplier shall not automatically renew a consumer's enrollment after the current term of the contract expires when the renewed contract provides that the consumer will be charged a rate higher than the current contract rate unless: (i) the alternative retail electric supplier or alternative gas supplier complies with specified notice and disclosure requirements; and (ii) the customer expressly consents to the contract renewal in writing or by electronic signature at least 30 days, but no more than 60 days, before the contract expires. |
| HB1158 | 01/09/2025 | Amends the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Act. Provides that bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness for specified purposes shall be issued from time to time only in amounts as may be required for such purposes but the amount of such obligations issued during any one budget year shall not exceed $250,000,000 (rather than $150,000,000) plus the amount of any obligations authorized by the Act to be issued during the 3 budget years next preceding the year of issuance but which were not issued. |
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