Illinois Statutes Chapter 65. Municipalities § 5/11-117-12.2. Military personnel in military service; no stoppage of gas or electricity; arrearage

(a) In this Section:

“Military service” means any full-time training or duty, no matter how described under federal or State law, for which a service member is ordered to report by the President, Governor of a state, commonwealth, or territory of the United States, or other appropriate military authority.

“Primary occupant” means the current residential customer of record in whose name the account is registered with the municipality owning a public utility.

“Service member” means a resident of Illinois who is a member of any component of the U.S. Armed Forces or the National Guard of any state, the District of Columbia, a commonwealth, or a territory of the United States.

(b) No municipality owning a public utility shall stop gas or electricity from entering the residential premises of which a service member was a primary occupant immediately before the service member entered military service for nonpayment for gas or electricity supplied to the residential premises.

(c) Upon the return from military service of a residential consumer who is a service member, the municipality shall offer the residential consumer a period equal to at least the period of the residential consumer's military service to pay any arrearages incurred during the period of the residential consumer's military service. The municipality shall inform the residential consumer that, if the period the municipality offers presents a hardship to the consumer, the consumer may request a longer period to pay the arrearages.

(d) In order to be eligible for the benefits granted to a service member under this Section, a service member must provide the municipality owning a public utility with a copy of the orders calling the service member to military service in excess of 29 consecutive days or copies of orders further extending the service member's period of service and provide documentation that his or her military service materially affects his or her ability to pay for such services when due. In the event the service member no longer claims to be the primary occupant of the residential premises, or if the customer account of record changes, then the municipality owning a public utility may enforce all applicable rules, regulations, and tariffs.

(e) A violation of this Section constitutes a civil rights violation under the Illinois Human Rights Act.

All proceeds from the collection of any civil penalty imposed under this subsection shall be deposited into the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund.