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2016 SESSION

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HB 611 Water and sewer utilities; regulation.

Introduced by: Robert B. Bell | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles | history

SUMMARY AS PASSED HOUSE:

Regulation of water and sewer utilities. Makes water and sewer companies subject to the rules of the State Corporation Commission (SCC) regarding meetings and communications between SCC commissioners and any party, or between commissioners and staff, concerning any fact or issue arising out of a proceeding involving the regulation of rates, charges, services, or facilities of a utility. The bill requires a public utility to send notice of a proposed rate increase electronically to customers who receive bills electronically. Water or sewer utilities are required to publish notice of changes in rates, tolls, charges, rules, and regulations at least once in one or more newspapers in circulation in its franchise area. The measure bars the SCC from dispensing with notice requirements applicable to water and sewer companies. This bill is identical to SB 85.

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Regulation of water and sewer utilities. Makes water and sewer companies subject to the rules of the State Corporation Commission (SCC) regarding meetings and communications between SCC commissioners and any party, or between commissioners and staff, concerning any fact or issue arising out of a proceeding involving the regulation of rates, charges, services, or facilities of a utility. The measure requires the SCC, when setting rates relating to the use of water or sewer systems, to set the rates for use by a group of customers served by common facilities in a contiguous geographic area on the basis of the costs of serving that group alone and without reference to the costs of serving any other group of customers. The measure eliminates the requirement that a public utility publish notice of a proposed rate increase in a newspaper and requires the public utility to send notice of a proposed rate increase electronically to customers who receive bills electronically.