By Emmanuel T. Erediano
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
THE House Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations has approved House Bill 24-99, which seeks to deter utility theft by allowing a permissive inference of intent to assist courts in evaluating evidence when prosecuting theft.
Chaired by Rep. Joel Camacho, the committee agreed on April 2, 2026 to recommend passage of the measure in the House’s next session.
Present at the meeting were committee vice chair Rep. Blas Jonathan Attao, Vice Speaker Diego Vincent F. Camacho, House Floor Leader Marissa Flores, Rep. Danny I. Aquino, Rep. Ralph N. Yumul, Rep. Joseph Flores, Rep. Julie Ogo, who attended via videoconference, and Rep. Vincent Aldan, the author of H.B. 24-99.
The bill aims to assist the trier of fact in evaluating evidence related to the specific intent required for theft of utility services, while protecting defendants from any shift in the burden of proof.
By authorizing a narrowly drawn permissive inference and including appropriate procedural safeguards, H.B. 24-99 seeks to deter and address utility theft, reduce costs passed on to consumers, and promote efficient enforcement of the law without compromising constitutional protections.
H.B. 24-99 states that under a permissive inference of intent, the trier of fact in a prosecution may infer that a person acted with intent to obtain utility services for personal or another’s use without paying the full lawful charge, or with intent to deprive a utility of any portion of the lawful charge, if the trier of fact finds — based on the evidence — that one or more of the following conditions existed in connection with the premises, and that the person was a customer or exercised actual custody or control over the premises and the utility service connection:
• The meter or other measuring device provided by the utility has been altered, tampered with, bypassed, or otherwise interfered with to prevent accurate measurement;
• Utility service has been reconnected without authorization after lawful disconnection by the utility;
• Any device, connection, wire, pipe, or other apparatus exists that diverts utility service without passing through a lawful meter or measuring device.
Prior to the committee’s approval of the bill, John Bradley, a paralegal with the Office of the Attorney General, explained the measure further. He said there have been concerns in the courts regarding utility theft, noting that such cases can be difficult to investigate and prosecute.
“For example, a resident may be found to have an illegal connection to electricity or a water line but may still be found innocent if the resident proves they were not aware of it,” Bradley said.
Citing this “simple concept,” Bradley said H.B. 24-99 is a step toward ensuring that all consumers pay for their utility usage.
Aldan added that the court’s inability to hold some individuals accountable has been a major issue for the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.
“In light of that, guess who pays for all of those stolen utilities? We all do. There’s nothing free in this world. Somebody is always paying for those stolen utilities,” he said.
Emmanuel “Arnold” Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast.
