Massachusetts legislation · 194th General Court
Massachusetts H5292: An Act relative to smart meters
Status: In committee, April 21, 2026
What the bill says
From the introduced text, March 25, 2026:
Section 116C of Chapter 164 of the General Laws, as inserted by Section 79 of Chapter 239 of the Acts of 2024, is hereby amended by striking subsection (c) and inserting in place thereof the following subsection: (c) Electric customers may opt out of inclusion in the implementation of advanced metering infrastructure with notice to the distribution company. Upon receiving such notice, the distribution company shall remove the customer from the implementation plan and notify the department of the customer’s decision to opt out of such implementation plan in a manner determined by the department. The distribution company may charge such a customer any reasonable and necessary fees for delivering non-advanced metering service, provided, however, that said fees shall adhere to a uniform statewide rate established by the department that shall be applied uniformly across all utility companies as determined by the department.
Sponsors
- Steven Howitt (R, 4th Bristol)
- Natalie Blais (D, 1st Franklin)
- John Marsi (R, 6th Worcester)
- John Gaskey (R)
- Dennis Gallagher (D)
- James Arena-DeRosa (D)
- Estela Reyes (D)
Latest actions
- : Read second and ordered to a third reading
- : Rules suspended
- : Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting
- : Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling
- : New draft of H3551
- : Reported from the committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy
Votes
- Committee Vote - Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy (March 18, 2026): 10 yea, 0 nay, passed
Common questions
- What is H5292?
- H5292 is a bill in the Massachusetts Legislature (194th General Court): An Act relative to smart meters.
- What is the status of H5292?
- In committee as of April 21, 2026. Latest action: Read second and ordered to a third reading (April 21, 2026).
- Who sponsored H5292?
- Steven Howitt (R, 4th Bristol), with 6 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for H5292?
- On the Massachusetts Legislature website: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5292
Source: official Massachusetts record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.