Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for HB2197

Deletes everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Coal Mining Act. Defines "lifeline cord", "self-contained self-rescue (SCSR) device", "surface supervisor of an underground mine", "tag-line", "rescue chamber", and "cache". Provides that the Department of Natural Resources shall use the telecommunications center maintained by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency to notify agents of the Department and other State, federal, and local agencies in the event of an emergency in or about any coal mine. Provides that the 4 mine rescue stations that are required to serve the coal fields of the State must be certified by the Mine Safety and Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor. Provides that rescue teams shall be based out of each mine rescue station and that every mine operator must provide employees to serve on a rescue team. Provides that an operator must require each person underground to carry a SCSR device on his or her person or, alternatively, a SCSR device must be kept within 25 feet of the person underground. Requires the provision of rescue chambers and materials for barricade within mines. Provides that tag-lines must be provided in every working section of a mine and on any vehicle capable of hauling 4 or more people within the mine. Prohibits methane extraction from sealed areas of active mines or abandoned mines that are attached to active working mines. Provides that at least one of the 2 travelable passageways designated as escape ways in a working section of a mine must be equipped with a lifeline cord. Provides that the return air passageway to the surface must be marked with reflectors or other appropriate signage, as approved by the Department. Provides that a vehicle suitable for transporting all persons underground working on a unit and injured persons shall be maintained in each underground working section (now, a vehicle suitable for transporting injured persons must be maintained on each underground working section where workers are working for use in case of accident). Requires the operator of a mine to provide wireless emergency communication devices and wireless tracking devices that must be worn by each person underground. Provides criminal penalties for any person who, without the authorization of the operator or the Mining Board, knowingly removes or attempts to remove from a mine or mine site or knowingly tampers with or attempts to tamper with any SCSR device, battery-powered strobe light, wireless emergency communication device, or wireless tracking device. Requires the Mining Board and the Department to work in consultation with the mining industry to study communication and tracking systems technology. Sets forth provisions concerning general surface supervisors and independent contractor supervisors. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Electric Service Customer Choice and Rate Relief Law of 1997 in the Public Utilities Act. Provides that, if the residential customer electric service rates that have been approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission to take effect at the end of the mandatory transition period for an electric utility reflect a projected increase of more than 15% in the electric utility's average rate charged to residential customers for bundled electric service, such electric utility must implement a rate mitigation plan for residential customers and incorporates limitations on the increases the electric utility may impose based on the number of residential customers served by the electric utility, distinguishing between electric utilities that serve more than 100,000 and fewer than 2,000,000 residential customers and electric utilities that serve 2,000,000 or more residential customers. Requires the rate limitations to be separately calculated for each residential class of service, other than real-time pricing. Provides that electric utilities required to file a rate mitigation plan shall make specified payments or incur specified costs, based on the number of residential customers, associated with the development of energy efficiency and renewable resources for the benefit of their residential customers and assistance to those residential customers least able to afford utility services. Requires the Commission to adopt rules on or before December 31, 2009 governing the recovery through rates of the costs associated with an electric utility's discretionary investment in programs that promote the use of energy efficiency and renewables. Provides criteria under which the limitations in the rate mitigation plans shall cease to apply based upon whether the utility is assigned specific credit ratings and allows utilities to begin recovering all amounts that have been deferred. Allows for recovery of amounts deferred through rate mitigation bonds. Provides that the Commission shall authorize the issuance of rate mitigation bonds by an electric utility or other financing entity designated by the electric utility. Requires that rate mitigation bonds shall be secured through an irrevocable financing order imposing a non-bypassable bond charge and shall provide for collection of the bond charge by the electric utility, an assignee, a financing entity, or a pledgee of bondable property. Provides criteria for financing orders. Amends the Uniform Commercial Code to make changes related to bonding authority under the Public Utilities Act. Effective immediately.

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