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1 | AN ACT concerning regulation.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by changing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Sections 9-201 and 9-223 and by adding Sections 4-605, 8-302.5, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | 8-302.7, 8-302.9, 8-303.5, 9-220.5, and 9-220.7 as follows: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | (220 ILCS 5/4-605 new) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | Sec. 4-605. Water and sewer public utilities; customer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | rights. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | (a) Within 90 days after the effective date of this | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly, the Commission | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | shall hold public hearings concerning and establish a water | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | bill of rights for customers of public utilities providing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | water or sewer service. The water bill of rights must detail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | what rights a customer has in each of the following situations: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | (1) The customer's water meter is replaced. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | (2) The customer's bill increases by more than 20% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | within one billing period. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | (3) The customer's water service is terminated.
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20 | (4) The customer wishes to appeal a termination of | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | service notice. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | (5) The customer is unable to make payment on a billing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | statement. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
24 | (6) A surcharge is filed that will increase the amount | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
25 | billed to the customer. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
26 | (7) The customer is billed for services provided prior | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
27 | to the date covered by the billing statement. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
28 | (8) The customer is due to receive a credit.
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29 | The water bill of rights must also include information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
30 | concerning the service obligations of the utility and informing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
31 | the customer about unfair and unethical collection practices | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
32 | and remedies that the customer may pursue for a violation of |
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1 | the customer's rights. | ||||||
2 | (b) No water or sewer public utility may terminate the | ||||||
3 | service of any customer without first providing at least 7 | ||||||
4 | days' advance written notice to the customer. The written | ||||||
5 | notice must include a copy of the water bill of rights created | ||||||
6 | under this Section and must notify the customer of the | ||||||
7 | customer's right to appeal the termination. The Commission | ||||||
8 | shall establish, by rule, a minimum payment schedule that must | ||||||
9 | be followed by the customer and the public utility of a | ||||||
10 | customer is disputing an amount billed to the customer or | ||||||
11 | appealing a termination of service and sanctions that may be | ||||||
12 | imposed against any public utility that terminates service to | ||||||
13 | any customer who adheres to the minimum payment schedule | ||||||
14 | established by the Commission. No water or sewer public utility | ||||||
15 | shall terminate service to any customer appealing a termination | ||||||
16 | of service or disputing a billed amount so long as the customer | ||||||
17 | adheres to the minimum payment schedule required by the | ||||||
18 | Commission. | ||||||
19 | (c) Each water or sewer public utility must provide written | ||||||
20 | notice to each affected customer of any true-up rate adjustment | ||||||
21 | and when it will go into effect. | ||||||
22 | (d) Each water or sewer public utility must disclose on | ||||||
23 | each billing statement any amount billed that is for service | ||||||
24 | provided prior to the date covered by the billing statement. | ||||||
25 | The disclosure must include the dates for which the prior | ||||||
26 | service is being billed. Each billing statement that includes | ||||||
27 | an amount billed for service provided prior to the date covered | ||||||
28 | by the billing statement must disclose the dates for which that | ||||||
29 | amount is billed and must include a copy of the water bill of | ||||||
30 | rights and a statement of current Commission rules concerning | ||||||
31 | back-billing. The Commission must verify any true-up in the | ||||||
32 | number of gallons that have been back-billed by a water or | ||||||
33 | sewer public utility and the utility must credit the customer | ||||||
34 | with those gallons, calculated in dollars, with interest at the | ||||||
35 | prime rate. | ||||||
36 | (e) The Commission shall establish by rule an informal |
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1 | complaint process for processing complaints about water and | ||||||
2 | sewer public utilities and shall respond to each complaint by | ||||||
3 | providing the consumer with a copy of the utilities response to | ||||||
4 | the complaint and a copy of the Commission's review of the | ||||||
5 | complaint and its findings. The Commission must provide the | ||||||
6 | consumer with all available options for recourse.
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7 | (f) Any refund on the billing statement of a customer of a | ||||||
8 | water or sewer public utility must be itemized and state the | ||||||
9 | purpose of the refund.
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10 | (220 ILCS 5/8-302.5 new) | ||||||
11 | Sec. 8-302.5. Water service for building construction | ||||||
12 | purposes. At the request of any municipality within the service | ||||||
13 | area of a public utility that provides water service to | ||||||
14 | customers within the municipality, a public utility must file | ||||||
15 | with the Commission a tariff that (i) applies only within that | ||||||
16 | municipality; (ii) requires all water service used for building | ||||||
17 | construction purposes to be measured by meter; (iii) is subject | ||||||
18 | to approved rates and charges for metered water service; and | ||||||
19 | (iv) prohibits the unauthorized use of water taken from | ||||||
20 | hydrants or service lines installed at construction sites. | ||||||
21 | (220 ILCS 5/8-302.7 new)
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22 | Sec. 8-302.7. Water and sewer or public utilities; | ||||||
23 | subcontractors. The Commission shall adopt rules to direct | ||||||
24 | for-profit water and sewer public utilities to conform to | ||||||
25 | standards that protect consumers from irresponsible | ||||||
26 | subcontractors contracted by a for-profit water or sewer public | ||||||
27 | utility. The rules must provide for notice to the consumer of | ||||||
28 | the proper kind of identification that the subcontractor must | ||||||
29 | present to the customer, prohibit the subcontractor from | ||||||
30 | soliciting or receiving payment of any kind for any service | ||||||
31 | provided by the water or sewer public utility, and establish | ||||||
32 | sanctions for violations. | ||||||
33 | (220 ILCS 5/8-302.9 new)
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1 | Sec. 8-302.9. Water and sewer public utilities; true-up | ||||||
2 | charges. The Commission must establish by rule a formula for | ||||||
3 | determining (i) the amount of unmetered water that a unit of | ||||||
4 | local government can expect to pay for in order to protect the | ||||||
5 | public and (ii) the percentage of unmetered water that reflects | ||||||
6 | environmental waste that is the result of a water or sewer | ||||||
7 | public utility's management inefficiencies and neglect. The | ||||||
8 | formula and the utility's compliance with existing | ||||||
9 | conservation agreements must be considered as part of all rate | ||||||
10 | cases and annual reconciliations associated with that utility. | ||||||
11 | (220 ILCS 5/8-303.5 new) | ||||||
12 | Sec. 8-303.5. Meter malfunction; testing. | ||||||
13 | (a) If a public utility furnishing water to any customer | ||||||
14 | determines that a meter owned by the public utility has | ||||||
15 | malfunctioned, then the public utility is prohibited from | ||||||
16 | charging the customer during the malfunction unless the | ||||||
17 | customer intentionally caused the malfunction. | ||||||
18 | (b) If requested by the Commission or by the customer whose | ||||||
19 | use is measured by the meter, a public utility furnishing water | ||||||
20 | to any customer must conduct a test to determine the accuracy | ||||||
21 | of the meter. Upon obtaining the written consent of the | ||||||
22 | Commission or the customer, the utility may use a company | ||||||
23 | authorized by the Commission to conduct the test. The utility | ||||||
24 | shall charge the customer for the conduct of the test in the | ||||||
25 | amount authorized by the Commission by rule. | ||||||
26 | (c) The Commission may establish by rule a minimum schedule | ||||||
27 | for testing of water meters and any tests conducted thereunder | ||||||
28 | must be conducted at the utility's expense.
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29 | (220 ILCS 5/9-201) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 9-201)
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30 | Sec. 9-201. Change of rates or other matters; notice; new | ||||||
31 | schedules; suspension of rates; hearings.
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32 | (a) Unless the Commission otherwise orders, and except as
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33 | otherwise provided in this Section, no change shall be made by | ||||||
34 | any
public utility in any rate or other charge or |
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1 | classification, or in any
rule, regulation, practice or | ||||||
2 | contract relating to or affecting any rate
or other charge, | ||||||
3 | classification or service, or in any privilege or
facility, | ||||||
4 | except after 45 days' notice to the Commission and to the
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5 | public as herein provided. Such notice shall be given by filing | ||||||
6 | with
the Commission and keeping open for public inspection new | ||||||
7 | schedules or
supplements stating plainly the change or changes | ||||||
8 | to be made in the
schedule or schedules then in force, and the | ||||||
9 | time when the change or
changes will go into effect, and by | ||||||
10 | publication in a newspaper of
general circulation or such other | ||||||
11 | notice to persons affected by such
change as may be prescribed | ||||||
12 | by rule of the Commission. The Commission,
for good cause | ||||||
13 | shown, may allow changes without requiring the 45 days'
notice | ||||||
14 | herein provided for, by an order specifying the changes so to | ||||||
15 | be
made and the time when they shall take effect and the manner | ||||||
16 | in which
they shall be filed and published.
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17 | When any change is proposed in any rate or other charge, or
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18 | classification, or in any rule, regulation, practice, or | ||||||
19 | contract
relating to or affecting any rate or other charge, | ||||||
20 | classification or
service, or in any privilege or facility, | ||||||
21 | such proposed change shall be
plainly indicated on the new | ||||||
22 | schedule filed with the Commission, by some
character to be | ||||||
23 | designated by the Commission, immediately preceding or
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24 | following the item.
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25 | When any public utility providing water or sewer service | ||||||
26 | proposes any
change in any rate or other charge, or | ||||||
27 | classification, or in any rule,
regulation, practice, or | ||||||
28 | contract relating to or affecting any rate or
other charge, | ||||||
29 | classification or service, or in any privilege or facility,
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30 | such utility shall, in addition to the other notice | ||||||
31 | requirements of this
Act, provide notice of such change to all | ||||||
32 | customers potentially affected by
including a notice and | ||||||
33 | description of such change, and of Commission
procedures for | ||||||
34 | intervention, in the first bill sent to each such customer
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35 | after the filing of the proposed change. | ||||||
36 | When any public utility providing water or sewer service |
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1 | proposes a rate increase, prior to the date set for the | ||||||
2 | hearing, a public forum on the increase must be conducted in | ||||||
3 | each unit of local government in which the increase will take | ||||||
4 | effect and the public utility must provide 30 days' advance | ||||||
5 | notice of each hearing to the governing body of those units of | ||||||
6 | local government. In addition, each public forum must be held | ||||||
7 | on a day and at a time that will allow for the greatest | ||||||
8 | possible public participation and in a location within 60 miles | ||||||
9 | of the service area affected by the proposed rate increase. | ||||||
10 | Reports and comments made during or as a result of the public | ||||||
11 | forum must be made part of the record of the hearing.
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12 | (b) Whenever there shall be filed with the Commission any | ||||||
13 | schedule
stating an individual or joint rate or other charge, | ||||||
14 | classification,
contract, practice, rule or regulation, the | ||||||
15 | Commission shall have power,
and it is hereby given authority, | ||||||
16 | either upon complaint or upon its own
initiative without | ||||||
17 | complaint, at once, and if it so orders, without
answer or | ||||||
18 | other formal pleadings by the interested public utility or
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19 | utilities, but upon reasonable notice, to enter upon a hearing
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20 | concerning the propriety of such rate or other charge, | ||||||
21 | classification,
contract, practice, rule or regulation, and | ||||||
22 | pending the hearing and
decision thereon, such rate or other | ||||||
23 | charge, classification, contract,
practice, rule or regulation | ||||||
24 | shall not go into effect. The period of
suspension of such rate | ||||||
25 | or other charge, classification, contract,
practice, rule or | ||||||
26 | regulation shall not extend more than 105 days beyond
the time | ||||||
27 | when such rate or other charge, classification, contract,
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28 | practice, rule or regulation would otherwise go into effect | ||||||
29 | unless the
Commission, in its discretion, extends the period of | ||||||
30 | suspension for a
further period not exceeding 6 months.
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31 | All rates or other charges, classifications, contracts, | ||||||
32 | practices, rules or
regulations not so suspended shall, on the | ||||||
33 | expiration of 45 days from
the time of filing the same with the | ||||||
34 | Commission, or of such lesser time
as the Commission may grant, | ||||||
35 | go into effect and be the established and
effective rates or | ||||||
36 | other charges, classifications, contracts, practices,
rules |
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1 | and regulations, subject to the power of the Commission, after | ||||||
2 | a
hearing had on its own motion or upon complaint, as herein | ||||||
3 | provided, to
alter or modify the same.
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4 | Within 30 days after such changes have been
authorized by | ||||||
5 | the Commission, copies of the new or revised schedules
shall be | ||||||
6 | posted or filed in accordance with the terms of Section 9-103 | ||||||
7 | of
this Act, in such a manner that all changes shall be plainly | ||||||
8 | indicated.
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9 | (c) If the Commission enters upon a hearing concerning the | ||||||
10 | propriety of
any proposed rate or other charge, classification, | ||||||
11 | contract, practice, rule
or regulation, the Commission shall | ||||||
12 | establish the rates or other charges,
classifications, | ||||||
13 | contracts, practices, rules or regulations proposed, in
whole | ||||||
14 | or in part, or others in lieu thereof, which it shall find to | ||||||
15 | be just
and reasonable. In such hearing, the burden of proof to | ||||||
16 | establish the justness
and reasonableness of the proposed rates | ||||||
17 | or other charges, classifications,
contracts, practices, rules | ||||||
18 | or regulations, in whole and in part, shall be
upon the | ||||||
19 | utility. No rate or other charge, classification, contract,
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20 | practice, rule or regulation shall be found just and reasonable | ||||||
21 | unless it
is consistent with Sections of this Article.
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22 | (Source: P.A. 84-617.)
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23 | (220 ILCS 5/9-220.5 new)
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24 | Sec. 9-220.5. Water and sewer utilities; low usage. Each | ||||||
25 | public utility that provides water and sewer service must | ||||||
26 | establish a unit rate, subject to review by the Commission, | ||||||
27 | that applies only to those customers who use less than 100 | ||||||
28 | gallons of water in any billing period. | ||||||
29 | (220 ILCS 5/9-220.7 new)
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30 | Sec. 9-220.7. Water and sewer utilities; separate meters. | ||||||
31 | Each public utility that provides water and sewer service must | ||||||
32 | offer separate rates for water and sewer service to any | ||||||
33 | commercial or residential customer who uses separate meters to | ||||||
34 | measure each of those services. In order for the separate rate |
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1 | to apply, a combination of meters must be used to measure the | ||||||
2 | amount of water that reaches the sewer system and the amount of | ||||||
3 | water that does not reach the sewer system.
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4 | (220 ILCS 5/9-223) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 9-223)
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5 | Sec. 9-223. Fire protection charge.
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6 | (a) The Commission may authorize any public utility engaged | ||||||
7 | in
the production, storage, transmission, sale, delivery or | ||||||
8 | furnishing of water
to impose a fire protection charge, in | ||||||
9 | addition to any rate authorized by
this Act, sufficient to | ||||||
10 | cover a reasonable portion of the cost of providing
the | ||||||
11 | capacity, facilities and the water necessary to meet the fire | ||||||
12 | protection
needs of any municipality or public fire protection | ||||||
13 | district. Such fire
protection charge shall be in the form of a | ||||||
14 | fixed amount per bill and shall
be shown separately on the | ||||||
15 | utility bill of each customer of the municipality
or fire | ||||||
16 | protection district. Any filing by a public utility to impose | ||||||
17 | such a
fire protection charge or to modify a charge shall be | ||||||
18 | made pursuant to Section
9-201 of this Act. Any fire protection | ||||||
19 | charge imposed shall reflect the
costs associated with | ||||||
20 | providing fire protection service for each municipality
or fire | ||||||
21 | protection district. No such charge shall be imposed directly | ||||||
22 | on
any municipality or fire protection district for a | ||||||
23 | reasonable level of fire
protection services unless provided | ||||||
24 | for in a separate agreement between the
municipality or the | ||||||
25 | fire protection district and the utility.
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26 | (b) Within one year after the effective date of this | ||||||
27 | amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly, the Commission | ||||||
28 | shall conduct at least 3 public forums to evaluate the purpose | ||||||
29 | and use of each fire protection charge imposed under this | ||||||
30 | Section. At least one forum must be held in northern Illinois, | ||||||
31 | at least one forum must be held in central Illinois, and at | ||||||
32 | least one forum must be held in southern Illinois. The | ||||||
33 | Commission must invite a representative from each municipality | ||||||
34 | and fire protection district affected by a fire protection | ||||||
35 | charge under this Section to attend a public forum. The |
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1 | Commission shall report its findings concerning | ||||||
2 | recommendations concerning the purpose and use of each fire | ||||||
3 | protection charge to the General Assembly no later than the | ||||||
4 | last day of the veto session in 2006.
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5 | (Source: P.A. 84-617.)
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6 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
7 | becoming law.
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