Annoying medical proposed legislation

I've been busy these past few weeks with a couple of writing projects. I'm entering a essay contests for my voice recognition program. There will be four winners, and they will get a free iPad and three years of updates for Dragon NaturallySpeaking. I'll give Janet the iPad which she wants, and I want the updates!


I learned from a Facebook post by an MS Society staffer that a bill was coming up in the Delaware state legislature that would be really detrimental to anyone on a fixed income that has a temperature sensitive medical condition. She went to Dover, the capital, to lobby against it. Since I can't really do that anymore, I wrote the following letter:

To Rep. Longhurst, Rep. Hudson, Rep. Short and Sen. Hall--Long,

I am writing to you regarding House Bill number 261 w/HA 1. As a long-standing Delaware resident with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis, I was disturbed to learn of the intention to amend the Delaware Code Relating to Termination of Utility Service or Sale.

The existing code protects people like myself who have a chronic progressive disease that is made worse by extremes in temperature,. When people afflicted with multiple sclerosis are exposed to hot or cold temperatures, it causes muscular and other problems that may eventually lead to the need for medical treatment and/or hospitalization. At the very least, this situation leads to extreme discomfort including the inability to move temporarily.

The part of the bill I am concerned about currently reads "In no event shall such termination occur if any occupant of any dwelling unit shall be so ill that the termination of such sale or service shall adversely affect his health or recovery." The proposed change reads "In no event shall such termination occur if the termination will prevent the use of life-support equipment or cause loss of life or immediate hospitalization of the occupant of the premises."

 As I'm sure you'll note, the rewrite of the bill does not take into consideration the fact that exposure to extreme temperatures causes people with some conditions like multiple sclerosis to experience gradual detrimental health effects. I am not just concerned for people with my medical condition. This could also have negative repercussions for the elderly and anyone with an existing health condition.

 I have no argument with the part of the bill concerning making payments towards balances owed for utilities. I agree that all customers should make good faith attempts to pay their utility bills and that utilities should be terminated if no payment attempt is made. However, if someone has made regular payments, although small, and has a documented medical condition that would be exacerbated by extremes in temperature, their utilities should not be cut.

 Thank you for taking my concerns into consideration. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

If I learn anything interesting about the status of the bill, I'll post it on the blog. Hopefully it will just die in committee…



If I learn anything interesting