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On August 6th, 2021, Congresswoman Tlaib (MI-13) introduced the Maintaining Access to Essential Services Act, a landmark piece of legislation that would cancel ever-rising household debt for water, power, and broadband services to help U.S. families back on their feet by doing the following:
Providing a total of $13.5 billion in low-interest loans to public and private water utilities, which will be forgiven when the utility forgives household water arrears.
Providing $13 billion in low-interest loans to power utilities, which will be forgiven when the utility forgives household arrears.
Providing $13 billion in low-interest loans to broadband utilities, which will be forgiven when the utility forgives household arrears.
Requiring loan recipients to suspend utility shutoffs and restore any disconnected service, suspend late fees and charges, stop the sale of household debt to debt collectors, stop placing or selling liens on households due to outstanding utility debt, and stop filing adverse reports on households due to unpaid utility bills to credit agencies.
Establishing reporting requirements about disconnections and arrearages.
Rashida Tlaib's Bill
READ THE BILL'S PRESS RELEASE HERE
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‘I have never felt so hopeless’: millions in US fear utility shutoffs as debts rise (The Guardian, 10-13-21)