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95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008 HB1343
Introduced 2/20/2007, by Rep. Mary E. Flowers SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: |
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30 ILCS 105/5.675 new |
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220 ILCS 5/8-207.5 new |
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220 ILCS 5/9-222.4 new |
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305 ILCS 20/4.5 new |
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Amends the Public Utilities Act and the Energy Assistance Act to
create
the Percentage of Income Payment Plan. Provides for the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to establish a percentage of income payment plan for
utility service to
operate in
conjunction with the energy assistance program. Provides that eligible
households shall be
required to pay not more than 6% of annual income for gas and electric service.
Requires
the Commerce Commission to establish a universal service surcharge to be
imposed upon
gas and electric service provided to consumers in Illinois. Provides for the
moneys
received under the surcharge to be deposited into the Universal Service
Surcharge Fund,
a special fund in the State treasury. Provides for moneys in the fund to be
used, subject
to appropriation, to pay a provider of gas or electricity the amount by which
the cost of
gas or electricity provided to consumers participating in the Percentage of
Income
Payment Plan exceeded the amount paid by those participants to the provider for
that gas or
electricity. Amends the State Finance Act to add the Universal Service
Surcharge Fund to
the list of special funds.
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| FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY | |
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A BILL FOR
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HB1343 |
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LRB095 09127 DRJ 29320 b |
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| AN ACT concerning public utilities.
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| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, |
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| represented in the General Assembly:
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| Section 5. The State Finance Act is amended by adding |
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| Section 5.675 as follows: |
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| (30 ILCS 105/5.675 new) |
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| Sec. 5.675. The Universal Service Surcharge Fund.
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| Section 10. The Public Utilities Act is amended by adding |
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| Sections 8-207.5
and
9-222.4 as follows:
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| (220 ILCS 5/8-207.5 new)
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| Sec. 8-207.5. Percentage of Income Payment Plan.
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| (a) An electric or gas public utility that provides service |
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| to consumers in
Illinois
shall participate in the Percentage of |
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| Income Payment Plan established under
the Energy
Assistance |
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| Act.
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| (b) As a part of the percentage of income payment plan, an |
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| electric or gas
public
utility shall establish and implement an |
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| arrearage forgiveness program for
consumers
who are |
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| participating in the plan. The arrearage forgiveness program |
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| shall
provide that
one-twelfth of a participant's arrearage |
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| shall be forgiven for every 3 months
of
participation in the |
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HB1343 |
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LRB095 09127 DRJ 29320 b |
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| plan.
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| (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, an |
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| electric or gas
public
utility may not disconnect service to |
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| any residential customer who is a
participant in the
Percentage |
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| of Income Payment Plan.
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| (220 ILCS 5/9-222.4 new)
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| Sec. 9-222.4. Universal Service Fund Surcharge.
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| (a) The Commission shall establish a surcharge (universal |
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| service rider) to
be
imposed by a public utility upon gas and |
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| electricity service provided to
consumers in this
State. The |
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| amount that may be recovered under the universal service rider |
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| for a
given
year shall be limited to the amount by which the |
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| cost of gas or electricity
provided to
consumers participating |
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| in the Percentage of Income Payment Plan exceeds the
amount
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| paid by those consumers for gas or electricity. The amount of |
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| the surcharge
shall be
adjusted each year to reflect the actual |
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| costs incurred during the previous
year.
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| (b) Moneys received under the universal service rider shall |
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| be paid to the
Commission and deposited into the Universal |
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| Service Surcharge Fund, a special
fund
hereby created in the |
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| State treasury. Subject to appropriation, the moneys in
the
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| Universal Service Surcharge Fund shall be used to pay providers |
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| of gas or
electricity the
amount by which the cost of gas or |
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| electricity provided to consumers
participating in the
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| Percentage of Income Payment Plan exceeded the amount paid by |
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HB1343 |
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LRB095 09127 DRJ 29320 b |
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| those consumers
to the provider for
that
gas or electricity.
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| Section 15. The Energy Assistance Act is amended by adding |
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| Section
4.5
as follows:
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| (305 ILCS 20/4.5 new)
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| Sec. 4.5. Percentage of Income Payment Plan.
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| (a) In addition to the energy assistance program |
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| established under Section
4,
the
Department shall institute a |
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| Percentage of Income Payment Plan to further
ensure the
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| availability of heating and electric service to low income |
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| citizens. The
Department shall
implement the plan by rule. The |
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| plan shall be consistent with the objectives of
this
Section. |
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| The Department shall ensure that the plan is in operation by |
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| November
1,
2008,
and may enter into such contracts and other |
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| agreements with local agencies as
may be
necessary for the |
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| purpose of administering the plan.
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| (b) The plan shall be coordinated with the energy |
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| assistance program.
Application
for benefits shall be made |
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| jointly for both the Percentage of Income Payment
Plan and the
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| energy assistance program. An applicant for the Percentage of |
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| Income Payment
Plan
must
also apply for the energy assistance |
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| program. In determining benefit
distribution under
the energy |
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| assistance program and the Percentage of Income Payment Plan, |
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Department shall consider utility prices, household size, |
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| income, and
geographic
location.
The amounts distributed under |
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LRB095 09127 DRJ 29320 b |
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| the energy assistance program shall not exceed
40% of
energy |
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| costs for the lowest income level of eligible households nor |
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| 15% of
energy costs
for the highest income level of eligible |
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| households.
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| (c) In order to be eligible for the Percentage of Income |
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| Payment Plan, an
applicant
must have a household income that is |
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| at or below 150% of the federal poverty
level. A
resident |
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| eligible to participate in the plan shall be required to pay no |
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| more
than 6% of his
or her annual income for gas and electric |
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| service. A resident whose household
income is
at or below 50% |
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| of the federal poverty level shall be required to pay no more
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| than 3% of
his or her annual income for gas and electric |
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| service. For purposes of this
subsection, a
consumer's annual |
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| gas and electric costs shall be determined after deducting
any |
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| amounts
the consumer receives under the energy assistance |
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| program and all other energy
assistance programs.
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