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91_SB1970
LRB9114787JSpcB
1 AN ACT to amend the Public Utilities Act by adding
2 Sections 8-501.5, 8-505.5, and 9-245.
3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
4 represented in the General Assembly:
5 Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by adding
6 Sections 8-501.5, 8-505.5, and 9-245 as follows:
7 (220 ILCS 5/8-501.5 new)
8 Sec. 8-501.5. Employees and independent contractors;
9 background checks.
10 (a) Before hiring an employee or independent contractor
11 to perform work involving facilities used for the
12 distribution of natural gas to customers, a public utility
13 must conduct, in accordance with Commission rules, a
14 background check of the proposed employee or independent
15 contractor to determine the proposed employee's or
16 contractor's reliability and safety record.
17 (b) The Commission shall promulgate rules establishing
18 the requirements for background checks for employees and
19 independent contractors who perform work involving facilities
20 used for the distribution of natural gas.
21 (220 ILCS 5/8-505.5 new)
22 Sec. 8-505.5. Repairs involving mercury or other
23 hazardous material; notice. When a public utility removes or
24 repairs equipment that contains or may contain mercury or
25 other hazardous material and is located on a customer's
26 property, the utility must:
27 (1) provide notice to the customer disclosing the
28 work to be performed and the possibility of exposure to
29 mercury or other hazardous material;
30 (2) test the property for contamination no later
-2- LRB9114787JSpcB
1 than 7 days after the work is completed; and
2 (3) upon customer request, test for contamination
3 at least once within the 12 months following the
4 completion of the work.
5 (220 ILCS 5/9-245 new)
6 Sec. 9-245. Rates; environmental fines and remediation.
7 (a) In determining the rates for a public utility
8 engaged in providing natural gas service that has committed
9 an environmental violation, the Commission shall not include
10 any expenditure for fines or remediation and related
11 activities in connection with the environmental violation.
12 (b) When a public utility engaged in providing natural
13 gas service commits an environmental violation, the
14 Commission shall initiate an investigation to determine the
15 expenditures by that utility for fines and remediation and
16 related activities in connection with the violation. Upon
17 making the determination, the Commission shall initiate a
18 rate case to establish rates that do not include the
19 expenditures for fines and remediation and related activities
20 in the rate base.
21 (c) Within 90 days after the effective date of this
22 amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly, the Commission
23 shall commence an investigation and rate case in accordance
24 with subsection (b) with respect to any public utility
25 engaged in providing natural gas that has committed an
26 environmental violation during 2000.
27 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
28 becoming law.