Sen. Mike Jacobs

Filed: 3/2/2011

 

 


 

 


 
09700SB1396sam001LRB097 09365 ASK 51328 a

1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 1396

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 1396 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by changing
5Section 16-117 as follows:
 
6    (220 ILCS 5/16-117)
7    Sec. 16-117. Commission consumer education program.
8    (a) The restructuring of the electricity industry will
9create a new electricity market with new marketers and sellers
10offering new goods and services, many of which the average
11consumer will not be able to readily evaluate. It is the intent
12of the General Assembly that (i) electricity consumers be
13provided with sufficient and reliable information so that they
14are able to compare and make informed selections of products
15and services provided in the electricity market; and (ii)
16mechanisms be provided to enable consumers to protect

 

 

09700SB1396sam001- 2 -LRB097 09365 ASK 51328 a

1themselves from marketing practices that are unfair or abusive.
2    (b) The Commission shall implement and maintain a consumer
3education information program to help provide residential and
4small commercial retail customers with information to help them
5understand their service options in a competitive electric
6services market, and their rights and responsibilities.
7    (c) Not more than 90 days after the effective date of this
8amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly, the Commission
9shall direct the Office of Retail Market Development to review
10the existing consumer education information for residential
11and small commercial customers and consider whether updates are
12necessary. The Office of Retail Market Development shall seek
13input from interested persons, including alternative retail
14electric suppliers, electric utilities, the Attorney General,
15and the Citizens Utility Board, to further its review of the
16consumer education materials and possible proposed changes.
17Within 4 months after the start of the review, the Office of
18Retail Market Development shall submit recommendations to the
19Commission for approval. The Commission shall form a working
20group following the enactment of this amendatory Act of 1997.
21This group shall consist of 5 representatives of the
22investor-owned electric utilities in this State, 2 of which
23shall be appointed by electric utilities serving over 1,000,000
24retail customers in this State; 2 representatives of
25alternative retail electric suppliers; 3 representatives of
26organizations representing the interests of residential and

 

 

09700SB1396sam001- 3 -LRB097 09365 ASK 51328 a

1small commercial retail customers; and the Commission.
2    (d) (Blank). By March 1, 1999, with respect to educational
3materials for small commercial customers and by November 1,
42001 with respect to educational materials for residential
5customers, the working group appointed pursuant to this Section
6shall develop a package of printed educational materials which
7meet the requirements of subsection (e) and shall submit such
8package to the Commission for approval, along with
9recommendations for implementing this consumer education
10program. Such materials shall consider the needs of different
11types of consumers in this State, such as elderly, low-income,
12multilingual, minority, rural and disabled customers. The
13working group shall issue recommendations to the Commission on
14how such education program can be implemented through a variety
15of communication methods, including specifically mass media,
16distribution of printed material, public service
17announcements, and posting on the Internet.
18    (e) At a minimum, the materials constituting the consumer
19education information program submitted to the Commission by
20the Office of Retail Market Development working group shall
21include concise explanations or descriptions of the following:
22        (1) the structure of the electric utility industry
23    following this amendatory Act of 1997 and a glossary of
24    basic terms;
25        (2) the choices available to consumers to take electric
26    service from an alternative retail electric supplier or

 

 

09700SB1396sam001- 4 -LRB097 09365 ASK 51328 a

1    remain as a retail customer of an electric utility;
2        (3) a customer's rights, risks and responsibilities in
3    receiving service from an alternative retail electric
4    supplier or remaining as a retail customer of an electric
5    utility;
6        (4) the legal obligations of alternative retail
7    electric suppliers;
8        (5) those services that may be offered on a competitive
9    basis in a deregulated electric services market, including
10    services that could be packaged with the delivery of
11    electric power and energy;
12        (6) services that an electric utility is required to
13    provide pursuant to tariffed rates;
14        (7) the components of a bill that could be received by
15    a customer taking delivery services;
16        (8) the complaint procedures set forth in Section
17    10-108 of this Act by which consumers may seek a redress of
18    grievances against an electric utility or an alternative
19    retail electric supplier and a list of phone numbers of the
20    Commission, the Attorney General or other entities that can
21    provide information and assistance to customers; and
22        (9) additional information available from the
23    Commission upon request.
24    (f) Within 45 days following the submission required of the
25Office of Retail Market Development working group by subsection
26(c) (d) of this Section, the Commission shall approve or

 

 

09700SB1396sam001- 5 -LRB097 09365 ASK 51328 a

1disapprove the consumer education information educational
2materials and recommendations for program implementation. The
3Commission shall be deemed to have approved the educational
4program materials and recommendations unless the Commission
5disapproves of any such material or recommendation within 45
6days following the date of receipt.
7    (g) Once approved by the Commission, materials comprising
8the consumer education information program contemplated by
9this Section shall be provided distributed as follows:
10        (1) If the electric utility bills residential or small
11    commercial retail customers directly, then the bill shall
12    include the Commission's electric education internet
13    address in the space reserved for alternative retail
14    electric supplier messages. Electric utilities shall mail
15    printed educational materials specified by the working
16    group and approved by the Commission (a) to all residential
17    and small commercial retail customers within a reasonable
18    period prior to the date that such customers become
19    eligible to purchase power from alternative retail
20    electric suppliers, such "reasonable period" to be
21    determined by the Commission; and (b) once the applicable
22    customer class becomes eligible to receive delivery
23    services, to all new residential and small commercial
24    retail customers at the time that such customers begin
25    taking services from the electric utility.
26        (2) Alternative retail electric suppliers shall

 

 

09700SB1396sam001- 6 -LRB097 09365 ASK 51328 a

1    provide the Commission's electric education internet
2    address include such materials with all initial mailings to
3    all potential residential and small commercial retail
4    customers but in all circumstances prior to the time by
5    which an alternative retail electric supplier executes any
6    agreements or contracts with such customers for the supply
7    of electric services.
8        (3) (Blank). Both electric utilities and alternative
9    retail electric suppliers shall provide such materials at
10    no charge to residential and small commercial retail
11    customers upon request.
12        (4) The Commission shall make the following
13    information available on its web site and printed
14    information from the web site available to the public upon
15    request and at no charge, and shall make available to the
16    public on the Internet through the State of Illinois World
17    Wide Web Site:
18            (A) all consumer education information developed
19        by the Office of Retail Market Development printed
20        educational materials developed by the working group
21        and approved by the Commission;
22            (B) a list of all certified alternative retail
23        electric suppliers serving residential and small
24        commercial retail customers within the service
25        territory of each electric utility;
26            (C) a list of alternative retail electric

 

 

09700SB1396sam001- 7 -LRB097 09365 ASK 51328 a

1        suppliers serving residential or small commercial
2        retail customers which have been found in the last 3
3        years by the Commission pursuant to Section 10-108 to
4        have failed to provide service in accordance with the
5        terms of their contracts with such retail customers;
6        and
7            (D) guidelines to assist customers in determining
8        which energy supplier is most appropriate for each
9        customer.
10    (h) The Commission may also adopt a uniform disclosure form
11which alternative retail electric suppliers would be required
12to complete enabling consumers to compare prices, terms and
13conditions offered by such suppliers.
14    (i) The Commission shall make available to the public staff
15with the ability and knowledge to respond to consumer
16inquiries.
17    (j) (Blank). The costs of printing educational materials
18approved by the Commission pursuant to this Section shall be
19payable solely from funding as provided in this subsection.
20    Each year the General Assembly shall appropriate money to
21the Commission from the General Revenue Fund for the expenses
22of the Commission associated with this Section. The cost of the
23consumer education program contemplated by this Section shall
24not exceed the amount of such appropriation. In no event shall
25any electric utility, alternative retail electric supplier or
26customer be liable for the costs of printing consumer education

 

 

09700SB1396sam001- 8 -LRB097 09365 ASK 51328 a

1program material in accordance with this Section. The
2obligations associated with this consumer education program
3shall not exceed the amounts appropriated for this program
4pursuant to this Section.
5    (k) (Blank). The Commission shall study the effectiveness
6of the consumer education program. Such study shall include a
7notice and an opportunity for participation and comment by all
8interested and potentially affected parties. Such study shall
9be completed by January 31st of each year during the mandatory
10transition period and a summary thereof, together with any
11legislative recommendations, shall be included in the
12Commission's Annual Report due in accordance with Section 4-304
13of this Act.
14(Source: P.A. 90-561, eff. 12-16-97.)
 
15    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
16becoming law.".