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An Act To Change the Name of the Public Utilities Commission's Consumer Assistance Division
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 2 MRSA §6-A, sub-§3, ¶E, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 618, §1, is amended to read:
 
E. Director of consumer assistance and safety.
Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §949, sub-§1, ¶E, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 618, §4, is amended to read:
 
E. Director of Consumer Assistanceconsumer assistance and safety.
Sec. 3. 35-A MRSA §107, sub-§1, ¶A, as amended by PL 2011, c. 420, Pt. A, §30, is further amended to read:
 
A. An administrative director, a director of telephone and water utility industries, a director of electric and gas utility industries and a director of consumer assistance and safety;
Sec. 4. 35-A MRSA §107, sub-§2, ¶A, as amended by PL 2011, c. 420, Pt. A, §31, is further amended to read:
 
A. The general counsel, the administrative director, the assistant administrative director, the director of telephone and water utility industries, the director of electric and gas utility industries and the director of consumer assistance and safety serve at the pleasure of the commission and their salaries must be set by the commission within the ranges established by Title 2, section 6-A.
Sec. 5. 35-A MRSA §107, sub-§2, ¶C, as amended by PL 2011, c. 420, Pt. A, §32, is further amended to read:
 
C. The salaries of the other subordinate officials and employees of the commission, other than those of the general counsel, the administrative director, the assistant administrative director, the director of telephone and water utility industries, the director of electric and gas utility industries, the director of consumer assistance and safety and the staff attorney and utility analyst positions, are subject to the Civil Service Law.
Sec. 6. 35-A MRSA §704, sub-§5, ¶¶A and D, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 614, §2, are amended to read:
 
A. Records containing the following information shall beare confidential and are not public records for the purpose of Title 1, section 402, subsection 3:
 
(1) Information acquired by the Consumer Assistance Divisionconsumer assistance and safety division regarding the payment and credit history and financial condition of a customer who has requested the assistance of the division; and
 
(2) Information acquired by the Consumer Assistance Divisionconsumer assistance and safety division regarding the medical condition of a customer or member of a customer's family.
 
D. The Consumer Assistance Divisionconsumer assistance and safety division shall prepare its decisions or abstracts of decisions in a manner whichthat protects the confidentiality of customer information as provided by this subsection. Those decisions or abstracts of decisions shallmust be available for public access.
Sec. 7. 35-A MRSA §6114, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 573, §4, is amended to read:
 
4. Consumer assistance and safety division.   The commission shall ensure that customers of consumer-owned water utilities retain access to the services provided by the consumer assistance and safety division within the commission.
 
SUMMARY
This bill adds "and safety" to references to the Public Utilities Commission's consumer assistance division to reflect that the division now also oversees the State's gas safety regulation and enforcement and enforcement of the underground facility damage prevention law.