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An Act To Protect Residential Consumers of Home Heating Fuel
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 10 MRSA §1110, sub-§1,  as enacted by PL 2005, c. 632, §1, is amended to read:
 
1. Contract and solicitation requirements.   A contract for the retail sale of home heating oil, kerosene or liquefied petroleum gas that offers a guaranteed price plan, including a prepaid contract and any other similar termterms, must be in writing and the terms and conditions of the price plan must be disclosed. The disclosure of terms and conditions must be in plain language, must immediately follow the language concerning the price or service that could be affected and must be printed in no less than 12-point boldface type of uniform font. A solicitation for the retail sale of home heating oil, kerosene or liquefied petroleum gas that offers a guaranteed price plan that could become a contract upon a response from a consumer, including a prepaid contract and any other similar termterms, must be in writing and the terms and conditions of that offer must be disclosed in plain language. A contract under this section must include a conspicuous cancellation clause in no less than 12-point boldface type of uniform font that clearly states the terms and conditions by which a consumer may be released from the obligations of the contract, including any fees, penalties, notice provisions and deadlines that may apply.
Sec. 2. 35-A MRSA §4712  is enacted to read:
§ 4712.   Cancellation notice requirements
A contract for the retail sale of natural gas that offers a guaranteed price plan, including a prepaid contract and any other similar terms, must include a conspicuous cancellation clause in no less than 12-point boldface type of uniform font that clearly states the terms and conditions by which a consumer may be released from the obligations of the contract, including any fees, penalties, notice provisions and deadlines that may apply.
 
SUMMARY
This bill amends the statutory requirements for price protection and prepaid home heating oil, kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas and natural gas contracts to require these contracts to include a conspicuous cancellation clause in no less than 12-point boldface type of uniform font that clearly states the terms and conditions by which a consumer may be released from the obligations of the contract, including any fees, penalties, notice provisions and deadlines that may apply.