COLUMBIA -- A bill that would prevent utilities from disconnecting power to the elderly and disabled during extreme heat or cold passed the House on Tuesday after some initial confusion about its impact.

The bill protects people 65 or older and those disabled or seriously ill and poor.

Utilities would have to notify the customer and a friend, if requested, or relative multiple times before service could be disconnected. Power couldn't be turned off in winter months under the legislation if the average temperature is forecast to be 32 or below in the next 48 hours or if the forecast low is 20 degrees or lower.

Lawmakers crafted the bill following the death of 89-year-old Elizabeth Verdin of Greenville, who died of hypothermia in December 2004 after her power was disconnected for nonpayment.

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"This bill is all about protecting the people of South Carolina," Rep. Bill Sandifer of Seneca, one of the bill's sponsors, told House members before they voted 76-17 to pass the proposal on second reading. It must be passed again before it can be taken up by the Senate.

Rep. Harry Cato, a Travelers Rest Republican and chairman of the House Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee, said some members voiced concerns about the bill Tuesday morning because of some misunderstandings.

Some felt it only covered investor-owned utilities, while others didn't know there had been hearings on the bill, he said.

"There was just a lot of general, small confusion," he said. "Obviously we had a strong vote, and I think that's a good signal that it's headed to the Senate."

Cato's committee drafted the bill after studying other proposals and meeting with utility officials around the state last year.

Customers still have to pay their bills under the legislation. But utilities cannot shut off power during extreme temperatures if a customer who meets the criteria is delinquent. The bill also prevents shutoffs in the summer, when the heat index is forecast to reach 105 degrees over the next 24 hours.

Utility crews would be required under the bill to make a "good faith" effort to make personal contact with any special needs customer, the account holder or a representative before they could disconnect the power when temperatures aren't extreme.

"I think it's very good legislation that does walk that fine line of protecting consumers but not allowing those who would abuse the system to do it," Cato said. "It requires personal responsibility on the part of the consumer."

The bill would require that utilities accept the bill's requirements or submit their own plan by Sept. 1 to the Office of Regulatory Staff, the agency that represents consumers' interests in utility regulatory matters. If the agency rejects the utility's proposal, the utility must operate under the bill's regulations, according to the legislation.

Tim Pettit, a spokesman for Duke Power, said the utility's rules adopted after it reviewed what happened in Verdin's death are the same as what is called for in the legislation.

"We support the intent of this legislation for a uniform safety net for the state," he said. "By and large the intent of this legislation is like the enhancements that we already made."

Jerry Balding, general manager for Greer Commission of Public Works, said his organization also has adopted similar protections for its customers but that he still has concerns.