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H.R. 9700

BillFederalHouseIn Committee
To establish the Ratepayer Justice Fund and a Federal process to reimburse ratepayers and communities harmed by utility and utility executive misconduct, including corruption, and to hold accountable those responsible for such misconduct, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · July 15, 2026
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Transportation and Infrastructure, Small Business, Financial Services, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced
July 15, 2026
Cosponsors (1)
1D 0R
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The Ratepayer Justice and Commercial Power Accountability Act creates a new fund to compensate consumers harmed by utility misconduct, financed by requiring the Treasury Secretary and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to collect money from utilities, executives, and lobbyists found liable for illegal conduct such as bribery, corruption, and fraud that inflated rates. The bill directs the Department of Energy to prioritize communities affected by utility misconduct for federal grants and technical assistance for grid infrastructure and modernization projects. Eligible ratepayers who received continuous service during periods when utilities engaged in misconduct can receive compensation for the difference between what they actually paid and what rates would have been absent the illegal conduct. The Treasury Secretary is given authority to develop rules and guidance needed to implement and manage the fund, which covers misconduct occurring within 20 years of the bill's enactment and applies to for-profit utilities under federal regulatory jurisdiction with finalized misconduct determinations.

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