As they say, timing is everything. If not for the well-publicized troubles of Hudson’s Fred Fuller Oil company this week, legislation aimed at protecting consumers against fuel oil companies that go belly-up would have died without a whimper during Wednesday’s opening legislative session.

But faced with a third of the state’s heating oil customers worried whether Fuller Oil would go under, lawmakers did an abrupt about-face, pulling HB566 off the consent calendar – where it was sent to die – so that they can revisit the issue next week.

The bill would require home heating fuel suppliers “to secure customer prepaid deposits by maintaining an escrow account, letter of credit, or surety bond of a specified amount with the office of the attorney general as the beneficiary.” The House Commerce Committee voted 19-1 to kill the legislation in November after banks and oil companies complained it would be too great an inconvenience.

Fuller Oil maintains it has always been, and continues to be, financially sound. It has complied with a mandate from the attorney general’s office to provide proof. Still, when 1,300 Fuller customers in search of answers call the state’s special hotline in less than two days, even the folks roaming Representatives Hall pay attention.

When the committee shot down the bill two months ago, members expressed frustration at not being able to find some way to better protect consumers. It’s time to for lawmakers to try again – and to try harder.

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