California SB 1311 does not provide utility disconnection protections, despite what circulates online. Two different bills have carried that number in recent sessions, one dealing with consumer protection for military members and veterans, the other with energy reliability planning, and neither touches residential gas or electric shutoffs. The protections people are usually looking for do exist in California, but they come from Public Utilities Code sections 779.1, 779.3, and 739, along with several California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) decisions. Here is what those rules actually give you and how to use them.
What SB 1311 Is, and Isn’t
The 2021–2022 version of SB 1311 is the Military and Veteran Consumer Protection Act of 2022. It adds a civil penalty of up to $2,500 per violation when unfair competition laws are broken against service members, broadens small claims court access for service members stationed more than 100 miles away, and bars businesses from electronically accessing a service member’s Common Access Card during a sale.1California Legislative Information. California SB 1311 – Military and Veteran Consumer Protection Act of 2022 The 2023–2024 version of SB 1311 concerns the California Energy Commission’s integrated energy policy report and energy reliability planning.2California Legislative Information. California Bill Analysis – SB 1311 Energy Reliability Planning Assessment Neither bill creates or amends any rule about disconnecting residential gas or electric service, medical baseline status, or payment arrangements.
If a social post or summary told you SB 1311 shields vulnerable customers from shutoffs, it’s wrong about the bill. The protection is real; the citation isn’t.
Where California’s Shutoff Protections Actually Live
Three statutes do most of the work. Public Utilities Code Section 779.1 sets the notice and procedural steps a utility must follow before cutting residential service for nonpayment. Section 779.3, added by SB 598, bars disconnection of certain medical baseline customers who are financially unable to pay and willing to enter a payment plan. Section 739 creates the medical baseline energy allowance itself and defines who qualifies.
CPUC decisions layer additional protections on top. Decision 20-06-003 (June 2020) tightened disconnection and reconnection practices for the large investor-owned utilities. Decision 22-08-037 (August 2022) set disconnection caps for smaller utilities. Decision 23-08-049 (August 2023) approved 24-month payment plans and extended arrearage management programs.3California Public Utilities Commission. Report on Residential and Household Utility Service Disconnections Together, these statutes and decisions are the framework people are reaching for when they search for SB 1311.
Medical Baseline: The Strongest Shutoff Shield
The Medical Baseline program gives households an additional allotment of electricity and natural gas, priced at the lowest residential tier, when a resident has a serious medical condition or depends on life-support equipment.4California Public Utilities Commission. Medical Baseline Program Any full-time resident of the home can trigger the account’s eligibility; the person doesn’t have to be the account holder.
Section 739 defines life-support equipment broadly: respirators, hemodialysis machines, suction machines, electric nerve stimulators, pressure pads, aerosol tents, nebulizers, motorized wheelchairs, and other devices that use mechanical or artificial means to sustain, restore, or replace a vital function, or that a person relies on for mobility. The statute specifically names qualifying conditions including life-threatening illnesses, compromised immune systems, paraplegia, quadriplegia, multiple sclerosis, and scleroderma. For conditions not on that list, a licensed physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner must certify in writing that the extra energy is medically necessary to sustain life or prevent deterioration.5California Legislative Information. California Code PUC 739
The disconnection protection sits in Section 779.3. A utility cannot shut off gas or electric service for nonpayment to a medical baseline customer who is financially unable to pay within the normal billing period, as long as the customer is willing to enter into a payment arrangement and meets at least one of these conditions:
- The customer or a household member is receiving hospice care at home.
- The customer or a household member depends on life-support equipment as defined in the medical baseline statute.
- A licensed physician, osteopathic physician, or nurse practitioner certifies that gas or electric service is medically necessary to sustain the person’s life or prevent deterioration of the condition.
This is not a free pass on the bill. The customer has to agree to an amortization plan to pay down the balance over time.6California Legislative Information. California SB 598 – Public Utilities Gas and Electric Service But if those boxes are checked, the utility cannot disconnect, no matter how large the arrears grow.
Medical baseline enrollment doesn’t stay valid on its own. Customers with non-permanent conditions must recertify every two years with a medical practitioner’s signature. Customers with permanent conditions must self-certify every four years. Miss the deadline and both the extra allowance and the disconnection shield go away. Keep your own calendar reminder; don’t rely only on the utility’s notice. The protection also travels with your account rather than your energy provider, so switching to a Community Choice Aggregator does not affect medical baseline status.
Notice Rights Every Residential Customer Has
Even without medical baseline, Section 779.1 requires a multi-step process before any residential shutoff. The utility must mail a written notice of delinquency and impending termination at least 15 days before the proposed shutoff date, with the clock starting five days after mailing to account for delivery. A second notice must come at least 48 hours before actual termination. The utility also has to make a reasonable attempt to reach an adult at the home by phone or in person at least 24 hours before cutting service. If phone or personal contact fails, written notice at least 48 hours ahead, mailed or left at the premises, is required.
Those notices have to tell you how to file a complaint, how to request an investigation of the charges, how to ask for a payment extension or plan, and where to find financial assistance from government and nonprofit sources. The CPUC’s contact number must appear on the notice.7California Public Utilities Commission. CPUC Published Document – Public Utilities Code Section 779.1
If You’ve Received a Disconnection Notice
A few steps actually move the needle.
Dispute the charges with the CPUC if you believe they’re wrong. Filing a complaint before the shutoff date generally stops the utility from disconnecting while the dispute is pending, which buys real time.
Ask your utility about an arrearage management program (AMP) or a 24-month payment plan. The CPUC extended AMPs and approved the longer payment plans through Decision 23-08-049.3California Public Utilities Commission. Report on Residential and Household Utility Service Disconnections AMPs forgive portions of past-due balances for qualifying customers who make on-time payments over a set period.
Apply for bill assistance. The California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) program gives qualifying low-income households a 30–35% discount on electric bills and 20% on natural gas. Enrollment in Medi-Cal, CalFresh, or SSI qualifies a household automatically. The Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) program gives an 18% electric discount to families whose income exceeds CARE limits but stays at or below 250% of the federal poverty level.8California Public Utilities Commission. CARE/FERA Program The federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides direct bill payment help through local community action agencies, and a LIHEAP pledge on an account can pause a pending disconnection under CPUC rules.9The LIHEAP Clearinghouse. Federal Poverty Guidelines for FFY 2026
If anyone in your household has a serious medical condition or uses life-support equipment, apply for medical baseline right away. The disconnection protection in Section 779.3 is only available once you’re enrolled.