| 6 | 5 | | A RESOLUTION |
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| 7 | 6 | | Creating the Senate Study Committee on Franchise Fees; and for other purposes. |
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| 8 | 7 | | 1 |
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| 9 | 8 | | WHEREAS, the substantial growth of large load electricity customers is impacting many2 |
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| 10 | 9 | | unincorporated areas of this state; and3 |
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| 11 | 10 | | WHEREAS, municipalities lease their rights of way under franchise agreements to electric4 |
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| 12 | 11 | | utility providers and receive significant compensation in return, including from within many 5 |
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| 13 | 12 | | unincorporated areas of this state; and6 |
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| 14 | 13 | | WHEREAS, the right for an electric utility provider to utilize county rights of way to reach7 |
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| 15 | 14 | | its customers has economic value that is not currently being recognized for the benefit of the8 |
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| 16 | 15 | | county and its unincorporated area residents; and9 |
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| 17 | 16 | | WHEREAS, for decades, residents of unincorporated areas have paid municipal franchise10 |
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| 18 | 17 | | fees to cities in which they do not reside through a charge included in the base rate of their11 |
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| 19 | 18 | | electricity bills; and12 |
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| 20 | 19 | | S. R. 424 |
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| 21 | 20 | | - 1 - 25 LC 50 1223 |
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| 22 | 21 | | WHEREAS, the unprecedented growth of large load electricity customers necessitates a |
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| 23 | 22 | | 13 |
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| 24 | 23 | | reconsideration of the assessment and allocation of municipal franchise fees for electric14 |
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| 25 | 24 | | services within unincorporated areas of this state; and15 |
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| 26 | 25 | | WHEREAS, this state has a compelling government interest to ensure that large load16 |
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| 27 | 26 | | electricity customers, which are particularly situated, are assessed franchise fees or tariffs as17 |
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| 28 | 27 | | a condition of conducting their operations in the unincorporated areas of the county.18 |
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| 29 | 28 | | NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE:19 |
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| 30 | 29 | | (1) Creation of Senate study committee. There is created the Senate Study Committee20 |
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| 31 | 30 | | on Franchise Fees.21 |
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| 32 | 31 | | (2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of five members of the22 |
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| 33 | 32 | | Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall23 |
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| 34 | 33 | | designate a member of the committee as chairperson of the committee.24 |
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| 35 | 34 | | (3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,25 |
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| 36 | 35 | | issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or26 |
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| 37 | 36 | | legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.27 |
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| 38 | 37 | | (4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee28 |
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| 39 | 38 | | may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or29 |
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| 40 | 39 | | convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and30 |
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| 41 | 40 | | accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.31 |
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| 42 | 41 | | (5) Allowances and funding.32 |
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| 43 | 42 | | (A) The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided33 |
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| 44 | 43 | | for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.34 |
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| 45 | 44 | | (B) The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member35 |
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| 46 | 45 | | of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. Funds36 |
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| 47 | 46 | | S. R. 424 |
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| 48 | 47 | | - 2 - 25 LC 50 1223 |
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| 49 | 48 | | necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds |
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| 50 | 49 | | 37 |
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| 51 | 50 | | appropriated to the Senate.38 |
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| 52 | 51 | | (6) Report.39 |
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| 53 | 52 | | (A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that40 |
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| 54 | 53 | | include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the41 |
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| 55 | 54 | | same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolution, subject to42 |
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| 56 | 55 | | subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.43 |
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| 57 | 56 | | (B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not include suggestions for44 |
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| 58 | 57 | | proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)45 |
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| 59 | 58 | | of this paragraph.46 |
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| 60 | 59 | | (C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of47 |
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| 61 | 60 | | abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee.48 |
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| 62 | 61 | | A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with49 |
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| 63 | 62 | | the Secretary of the Senate.50 |
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| 64 | 63 | | (D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Secretary51 |
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| 65 | 64 | | of the Senate a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu thereof.52 |
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| 66 | 65 | | (7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2025.53 |
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| 67 | 66 | | S. R. 424 |
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| 68 | 67 | | - 3 - |
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