Rep. Renée Kosel

Filed: 4/14/2011

 

 


 

 


 
09700HB2831ham004LRB097 08938 ASK 54550 a

1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 2831

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 2831 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by changing
5Sections 2-107 and 8-306 as follows:
 
6    (220 ILCS 5/2-107)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 2-107)
7    Sec. 2-107. The office of the Commission shall be in
8Springfield, but the Commission may, with the approval of the
9Governor, establish and maintain branch offices at places other
10than the seat of government. Such office shall be open for
11business between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
12throughout the year, and one or more responsible persons to be
13designated by the executive director shall be on duty at all
14times in immediate charge thereof.
15    The Commission shall hold stated meetings at least once a
16month and may hold such special meetings as it may deem

 

 

09700HB2831ham004- 2 -LRB097 08938 ASK 54550 a

1necessary at any place within the State. At each regular and
2special meeting that is open to the public, members of the
3public shall be afforded time, subject to reasonable
4constraints, to make comments to or to ask questions of the
5Commission.
6    The Commission shall provide a website web site and a
7toll-free telephone number to accept comments from Illinois
8residents regarding any matter under the auspices of the
9Commission or before the Commission. In the case of a water
10utility, (i) the comments received through the toll-free
11telephone number shall be transcribed and placed on the
12Commission's electronic docketing system for review by all
13parties, and the Commission shall notify all of the parties of
14the transcript's availability; (ii) both the transcript of the
15telephone comments and all comments received directly on the
16website shall become part of the record for decision; and (iii)
17the comments and suggestions received through both venues shall
18be reported by the The Commission staff shall report, in a
19manner established by the Commission that is consistent with
20the Commission's rules regarding ex parte communications, to
21the full Commission and reviewed by the full Commission
22comments and suggestions received through both venues before
23all relevant votes of the Commission.
24    The Commission may, for the authentication of its records,
25process and proceedings, adopt, keep and use a common seal, of
26which seal judicial notice shall be taken in all courts of this

 

 

09700HB2831ham004- 3 -LRB097 08938 ASK 54550 a

1State; and any process, notice, order or other paper which the
2Commission may be authorized by law to issue shall be deemed
3sufficient if signed and certified by the Chairman of the
4Commission or his or her designee, either by hand or by
5facsimile, and with such seal attached; and all acts, orders,
6proceedings, rules, entries, minutes, schedules and records of
7the Commission, and all reports and documents filed with the
8Commission, may be proved in any court of this State by a copy
9thereof, certified to by the Chairman of the Commission, with
10the seal of the Commission attached.
11    Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, the
12Commission's established procedures for accepting testimony
13from Illinois residents on matters pending before the
14Commission shall be consistent with the Commission's rules
15regarding ex parte communications and due process.
16(Source: P.A. 95-127, eff. 8-13-07.)
 
17    (220 ILCS 5/8-306)
18    Sec. 8-306. Special provisions relating to water and sewer
19utilities.
20    (a) No later than 120 days after the effective date of this
21amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly, the Commission
22shall prepare, make available to customers upon request, and
23post on its Internet website web site information concerning
24the service obligations of water and sewer utilities and
25remedies that a customer may pursue for a violation of the

 

 

09700HB2831ham004- 4 -LRB097 08938 ASK 54550 a

1customer's rights. The information shall specifically address
2the rights of a customer of a water or sewer utility in the
3following situations:
4        (1) The customer's water meter is replaced.
5        (2) The customer's bill increases by more than 50%
6    within one billing period.
7        (3) The customer's water service is terminated.
8        (4) The customer wishes to complain after receiving a
9    termination of service notice.
10        (5) The customer is unable to make payment on a billing
11    statement.
12        (6) A rate is filed, including without limitation a
13    surcharge or annual reconciliation filing, that will
14    increase the amount billed to the customer.
15        (7) The customer is billed for services provided prior
16    to the date covered by the billing statement.
17        (8) The customer is due to receive a credit.
18    Each billing statement issued by a water or sewer utility
19shall include an Internet website web site address where the
20customer can view the information required under this
21subsection (a) and a telephone number that the customer may
22call to request a copy of the information.
23    (b) A water or sewer utility may discontinue service only
24after it has mailed or delivered by other means a written
25notice of discontinuance substantially in the form of Appendix
26A of 83 Ill. Adm. Code 280. The notice must include the

 

 

09700HB2831ham004- 5 -LRB097 08938 ASK 54550 a

1Internet website web site address where the customer can view
2the information required under subsection (a) and a telephone
3number that the customer may call to request a copy of the
4information. Any notice required to be delivered or mailed to a
5customer prior to discontinuance of service shall be delivered
6or mailed separately from any bill. Service shall not be
7discontinued until at least 5 days after delivery or 8 days
8after the mailing of this notice. Service shall not be
9discontinued and shall be restored if discontinued for the
10reason which is the subject of a dispute or complaint during
11the pendency of informal or formal complaint procedures of the
12Illinois Commerce Commission under 83 Ill. Adm. Code 280.160 or
13280.170, where the customer has complied with those rules.
14Service shall not be discontinued and shall be restored if
15discontinued where a customer has established a deferred
16payment agreement pursuant to 83 Ill. Adm. Code 280.110 and has
17not defaulted on such agreement. Residential customers who are
18indebted to a utility for past due utility service shall have
19the opportunity to make arrangements with the utility to retire
20the debt by periodic payments, referred to as a deferred
21payment agreement, unless this customer has failed to make
22payment under such a plan during the past 12 months. The terms
23and conditions of a reasonable deferred payment agreement shall
24be determined by the utility after consideration of the
25following factors, based upon information available from
26current utility records or provided by the customer or

 

 

09700HB2831ham004- 6 -LRB097 08938 ASK 54550 a

1applicant:
2        (1) size of the past due account;
3        (2) customer or applicant's ability to pay;
4        (3) customer or applicant's payment history;
5        (4) reason for the outstanding indebtedness; and
6        (5) any other relevant factors relating to the
7    circumstances of the customer or applicant's service.
8A residential customer shall pay a maximum of one-fourth of the
9amount past due and owing at the time of entering into the
10deferred payment agreement, and the water or sewer utility
11shall allow a minimum of 2 months from the date of the
12agreement and a maximum of 12 months for payment to be made
13under a deferred payment agreement. Late payment charges may be
14assessed against the amount owing that is the subject of a
15deferred payment agreement.
16    (c) A water or sewer utility shall provide notice as
17required by subsection (a) of Section 9-201 after the filing of
18each information sheet under a purchased water surcharge,
19purchased sewage treatment surcharge, or qualifying
20infrastructure plant surcharge. The utility also shall post
21notice of the filing in accordance with the requirements of 83
22Ill. Adm. Code 255. Unless filed as part of a general rate
23increase, notice of the filing of a purchased water surcharge
24rider, purchased sewage treatment surcharge rider, or
25qualifying infrastructure plant surcharge rider also shall be
26given in the manner required by this subsection (c) for the

 

 

09700HB2831ham004- 7 -LRB097 08938 ASK 54550 a

1filing of information sheets.
2    (d) Commission rules pertaining to formal and informal
3complaints against public utilities shall apply with full and
4equal force to water and sewer utilities and their customers,
5including provisions of 83 Ill. Adm. Code 280.170, and the
6Commission shall respond to each complaint by providing the
7consumer with a copy of the utility's response to the complaint
8and a copy of the Commission's review of the complaint and its
9findings. The Commission shall also provide the consumer with
10all available options for recourse.
11    (e) Any refund shown on the billing statement of a customer
12of a water or sewer utility must be itemized and must state if
13the refund is an adjustment or credit.
14    (f) Water service for building construction purposes. At
15the request of any municipality or township within the service
16area of a public utility that provides water service to
17customers within the municipality or township, a public utility
18must (1) require all water service used for building
19construction purposes to be measured by meter and subject to
20approved rates and charges for metered water service and (2)
21prohibit the unauthorized use of water taken from hydrants or
22service lines installed at construction sites.
23    (g) Water meters.
24        (1) Periodic testing. Unless otherwise approved by the
25    Commission, each service water meter shall be periodically
26    inspected and tested in accordance with the schedule

 

 

09700HB2831ham004- 8 -LRB097 08938 ASK 54550 a

1    specified in 83 Ill. Adm. Code 600.340, or more frequently
2    as the results may warrant, to insure that the meter
3    accuracy is maintained within the limits set out in 83 Ill.
4    Adm. Code 600.310.
5        (2) Meter tests requested by customer.
6            (A) Each utility furnishing metered water service
7        shall, without charge, test the accuracy of any meter
8        upon request by the customer served by such meter,
9        provided that the meter in question has not been tested
10        by the utility or by the Commission within 2 years
11        previous to such request. The customer or his or her
12        representatives shall have the privilege of witnessing
13        the test at the option of the customer. A written
14        report, giving the results of the test, shall be made
15        to the customer.
16            (B) When a meter that has been in service less than
17        2 years since its last test is found to be accurate
18        within the limits specified in 83 Ill. Adm. Code
19        600.310, the customer shall pay a fee to the utility
20        not to exceed the amounts specified in 83 Ill. Adm.
21        Code 600.350(b). Fees for testing meters not included
22        in this Section or so located that the cost will be out
23        of proportion to the fee specified will be determined
24        by the Commission upon receipt of a complete
25        description of the case.
26        (3) Commission referee tests. Upon written application

 

 

09700HB2831ham004- 9 -LRB097 08938 ASK 54550 a

1    to the Commission by any customer, a test will be made of
2    the customer's meter by a representative of the Commission.
3    For such a test, a fee as provided for in subsection (g)(2)
4    shall accompany the application. If the meter is found to
5    be registering more than 1.5% fast on the average when
6    tested as prescribed in 83 Ill. Adm. Code 600.310, the
7    utility shall refund to the customer the amount of the fee.
8    The utility shall in no way disturb the meter after a
9    customer has made an application for a referee test until
10    authority to do so is given by the Commission or the
11    customer in writing.
12    (h) Water and sewer utilities; low usage. Each public
13utility that provides water and sewer service must establish a
14unit sewer rate, subject to review by the Commission, that
15applies only to those customers who use less than 1,000 gallons
16of water in any billing period.
17    (i) Water and sewer utilities; separate meters. Each public
18utility that provides water and sewer service must offer
19separate rates for water and sewer service to any commercial or
20residential customer who uses separate meters to measure each
21of those services. In order for the separate rate to apply, a
22combination of meters must be used to measure the amount of
23water that reaches the sewer system and the amount of water
24that does not reach the sewer system.
25    (j) Each water or sewer public utility must disclose on
26each billing statement any amount billed that is for service

 

 

09700HB2831ham004- 10 -LRB097 08938 ASK 54550 a

1provided prior to the date covered by the billing statement.
2The disclosure must include the dates for which the prior
3service is being billed. Each billing statement that includes
4an amount billed for service provided prior to the date covered
5by the billing statement must disclose the dates for which that
6amount is billed and must include a copy of the document
7created under subsection (a) and a statement of current
8Commission rules concerning unbilled or misbilled service.
9    (k) When the customer is due a refund resulting from
10payment of an overcharge, the utility shall credit the customer
11in the amount of overpayment with interest from the date of
12overpayment by the customer. The rate for interest shall be at
13the appropriate rate determined by the Commission under 83 Ill.
14Adm. Code 280.70.
15    (l) Water and sewer public utilities; subcontractors. The
16Commission shall adopt rules for water and sewer public
17utilities to provide notice to the customers of the proper kind
18of identification that a subcontractor must present to the
19customer, to prohibit a subcontractor from soliciting or
20receiving payment of any kind for any service provided by the
21water or sewer public utility or the subcontractor, and to
22establish sanctions for violations.
23    (m) Water and sewer public utilities; unaccounted-for
24water. By December 31, 2006, each water public utility shall
25file tariffs with the Commission to establish the maximum
26percentage of unaccounted-for water that would be considered in

 

 

09700HB2831ham004- 11 -LRB097 08938 ASK 54550 a

1the determination of any rates or surcharges. The rates or
2surcharges approved for a water public utility shall not
3include charges for unaccounted-for water in excess of this
4maximum percentage without well-documented support and
5justification for the Commission to consider in any request to
6recover charges in excess of the tariffed maximum percentage.
7    (n) Rate increases; public forums. When any public utility
8providing water or sewer service proposes a general rate
9increase, in addition to other notice requirements, the water
10or sewer public utility must notify its customers of their
11right to request a public forum. A customer or group of
12customers must make written request to the Commission for a
13public forum and must also provide written notification of the
14request to the customer's municipal or, for unincorporated
15areas, township government. In the event of such a request, the
16The Commission shall , at its discretion, may schedule the
17public forum. If it is determined that public forums are
18required for multiple municipalities or townships, then the
19Commission shall schedule these public forums, in locations
20within approximately 45 minutes drive time of the
21municipalities or townships for which the public forums have
22been scheduled. The public utility must provide advance notice
23of 30 days for each public forum to the governing bodies of
24those units of local government affected by the increase. The
25day of each public forum shall be selected so as to encourage
26the greatest public participation. Each public forum will begin

 

 

09700HB2831ham004- 12 -LRB097 08938 ASK 54550 a

1at 7:00 p.m. Reports and comments made during or as a result of
2each public forum shall be transcribed and placed on the
3Commission's electronic docketing system for review by all of
4the parties, and the Commission shall notify all parties of the
5transcript's availability. The transcript shall become part of
6the record for decision, and must be made available to the
7hearing officials and reviewed when drafting a recommended or
8tentative decision, finding or order pursuant to Section 10-111
9of this Act. The transcript must be reviewed by the full
10Commission before all relevant votes of the Commission.
11(Source: P.A. 94-950, eff. 6-27-06.)
 
12    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
13becoming law.".