Protect Kids & Seniors from the Cold Act (House Bill 5047)
Far too many Michigan children and seniors face dangerous utility shutoffs. The Protect Kids & Seniors from the Cold Act would safeguard vulnerable families by prohibiting shutoffs during the winter heating season (November 1–March 31) for seniors 65 and older and households with children 16 and younger.
Utility shutoffs touch every community, but it is children and seniors who bear the heaviest burden.
I introduced the Protect Kids & Seniors from the Cold Act because I cannot stand by while Michigan families face the cruel effects of skyrocketing utility costs. Well-intentioned existing programs simply aren’t enough to keep every child and senior safe during brutal winters. No child should ever shiver in a car just to find warmth, and no family should lose loved ones to fires sparked by unsafe heating when utilities are shut off.
– Rep. Myers Phillips
