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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | 2025 -- S 0969 |
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| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
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| 7 | 7 | | LC000259 |
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| 8 | 8 | | ======== |
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| 9 | 9 | | S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D |
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| 10 | 10 | | IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 11 | 11 | | JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025 |
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| 12 | 12 | | ____________ |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | A N A C T |
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| 15 | 15 | | RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION |
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| 16 | 16 | | Introduced By: Senators Euer, Appollonio, McKenney, Sosnowski, Zurier, Vargas, |
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| 17 | 17 | | Lauria, DiMario, Murray, and Kallman |
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| 18 | 18 | | Date Introduced: April 16, 2025 |
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| 19 | 19 | | Referred To: Senate Commerce |
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| 20 | 20 | | |
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| 21 | 21 | | |
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| 22 | 22 | | It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
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| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 39-1 of the General Laws entitled "Public Utilities Commission" is 1 |
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| 24 | 24 | | hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 2 |
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| 25 | 25 | | 39-1-64. Gas and electric utility customer bills. 3 |
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| 26 | 26 | | (a) Each electric distribution company as defined by § 39-1-2(a) and each gas distribution 4 |
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| 27 | 27 | | company included as a public utility as defined in § 39-1-2(a) shall provide a copy of the form, 5 |
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| 28 | 28 | | content, and design of proposed bills to be sent to customers. 6 |
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| 29 | 29 | | (b) The commission shall have the authority at any time to review the form, content, and 7 |
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| 30 | 30 | | design of electric and/or gas bills used by any gas or electric utility for billing customers and require 8 |
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| 31 | 31 | | any modifications that the commission finds: 9 |
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| 32 | 32 | | (1) Are in the public interest; or 10 |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) Would in the commission’s discretion be beneficial for the advancement of any 11 |
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| 34 | 34 | | significant energy or environmental policy initiatives in law or regulatory policy determined by the 12 |
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| 35 | 35 | | commission. 13 |
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| 36 | 36 | | (c) If any modification(s) ordered by the commission pursuant to the provisions of 14 |
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| 37 | 37 | | subsection (b) of this section should require significant billing system changes, the commission 15 |
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| 38 | 38 | | shall provide a reasonable amount of time for the gas or electric utility to make the required 16 |
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| 39 | 39 | | modifications. 17 |
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| 40 | 40 | | (d) To the extent that a gas or electric utility makes material changes to the form, content, 18 |
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| 41 | 41 | | or design of the bills sent to customers, the gas or electric utility shall file a copy of the new bill 19 |
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| 42 | 42 | | |
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| 43 | 43 | | |
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| 44 | 44 | | LC000259 - Page 2 of 3 |
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| 45 | 45 | | with the commission with a complete explanation of the changes. The filing is not required to be 1 |
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| 46 | 46 | | made prior to implementation, but shall be made no later than sixty (60) days after any material 2 |
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| 47 | 47 | | change has been put into effect for billing. The commission shall open a docket to receive public 3 |
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| 48 | 48 | | comment and, if necessary, hold hearings to review the change. 4 |
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| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 5 |
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| 50 | 50 | | ======== |
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| 51 | 51 | | LC000259 |
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| 52 | 52 | | ======== |
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| 53 | 53 | | |
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| 54 | 54 | | |
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| 55 | 55 | | LC000259 - Page 3 of 3 |
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| 56 | 56 | | EXPLANATION |
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| 57 | 57 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
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| 58 | 58 | | OF |
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| 59 | 59 | | A N A C T |
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| 60 | 60 | | RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION |
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| 61 | 61 | | *** |
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| 62 | 62 | | This act would require that electric and gas companies provide a copy of the form, content 1 |
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| 63 | 63 | | and design of their bills to the public utility commission (PUC). The act would also authorize the 2 |
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| 64 | 64 | | public utilities commission to review the form, content, and design of electric and gas bills and 3 |
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| 65 | 65 | | require any modifications that the commission finds (1) would be in the public interest, or (2) would 4 |
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| 66 | 66 | | be beneficial to any significant energy or environmental policy initiative. 5 |
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| 67 | 67 | | This act would change the utility company billing practices so that when a gas or electric 6 |
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| 68 | 68 | | utility makes a material change to their customer billing, they would be required to file a copy of 7 |
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| 69 | 69 | | the new bill with the PUC, with a complete explanation of the changes, within sixty (60) days after 8 |
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| 70 | 70 | | implementation. The PUC would also open a docket to receive public comment and, if necessary, 9 |
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| 71 | 71 | | hold hearings to review the changes. 10 |
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| 72 | 72 | | This act would take effect upon passage. 11 |
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| 73 | 73 | | ======== |
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| 74 | 74 | | LC000259 |
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| 75 | 75 | | ======== |
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| 76 | 76 | | |
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