Ohio Senate Bill SB149

Ohio 2023-2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 9/5/23

Caption

Prohibit public utilities recovering political expenditure costs

Impact

The passage of SB149 is expected to have significant implications for state regulations governing public utilities. By preventing utilities from passing on political expenditure costs to customers, the bill enhances consumer protections. This legislation could lead to decreased overall costs for consumers if utilities reduce their political activities, thus lowering their operational costs. Moreover, it promotes transparency in how public utilities engage in political spending, as they will be required to report these expenditures annually to the public utilities commission.

Summary

SB149 aims to prohibit public utilities from recovering costs associated with political expenditures from their customers. This bill includes several sections to define political expenditures, establish prohibitions against such recovery, and set forth penalties for non-compliance. It effectively seeks to ensure that customers are not burdened with the costs incurred by utilities for political activities, which proponents argue could lead to unfair financial burdens on consumers.

Contention

While supporters of SB149 assert that the bill will protect consumers and promote fairness in utility pricing, critics may argue that it could limit the ability of public utilities to engage in political advocacy effectively. There is concern that the restrictions placed by SB149 could result in diminished representation of utility interests in legislative processes, potentially leading to regulatory decisions that adversely affect service delivery and pricing structures. The enforcement mechanisms, including fines for violations and the establishment of a political activity fine fund, also bring up debates regarding the administration of penalties and funds generated from such fines.