Shorewood state legislator’s new law to end utility fees for deceased

The state will have a new law, backed by state Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel, starting Jan. 1, which aims to end the practice of burdening family members of deceased utility customers with early termination fees.

The bill will end early termination fees for utility customers who die before the end of a contract, according to a news release.

“While a family is grieving the loss of a loved one, the last thing they want to deal with is pesky utility fees,” Loughran Cappel, D-Shorewood, said in a statement. “The new law will end this unfair practice and protect working families from unnecessary bills.”

The concern was raised by a constituent of state Rep. Dan Didech, D-Buffalo Grove, following the publication of a news article which profiled a California family facing an early termination fee after a family member had died. Officials in New York have taken similar action to prevent this sort of situation.

The bill garnered bipartisan support in the General Assembly and will take effect on Jan. 1, 2022.