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Rep. Rosemary Mulligan
Filed: 4/25/2007
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09500HB2972ham001 |
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LRB095 06409 MJR 35521 a |
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| AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 2972
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| AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 2972 by replacing |
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| everything after the enacting clause with the following:
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| "Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by changing |
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| Section 8-303 as follows:
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| (220 ILCS 5/8-303) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 8-303)
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| Sec. 8-303. Where, within 30 days of receipt of a utility |
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| bill, a
customer alleges that the level of consumption |
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| reflected in his utility
bill is unreasonably high, it shall be |
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| the responsibility of the public
utility furnishing natural or |
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| artificial gas, electricity or water to that
customer to |
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| investigate the allegation. If as a result of such an
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| investigation, the public utility determines that the |
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| customer's line has
been tapped, the utility shall attempt to |
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| ascertain the identity of the
third party benefiting from the |
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| usage of the utility service or for
payment for all or part of |
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09500HB2972ham001 |
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LRB095 06409 MJR 35521 a |
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| the disputed charges. If the utility determines
that the |
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| landlord of the building or his agent is the party who |
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| benefited
from the usage of the utility service, either the |
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| utility or the customer
may petition the court for the |
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| appointment of receiver to collect the rents
due and to remit a |
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| portion to the utility company for payment of bills for
the |
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| tapped service, for current bills and for any expenses incurred |
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| by the
utility as a result of the tap. The receiver shall make |
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| all reasonable
efforts, including the obtaining of court |
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| orders, to provide to the utility
access to the building. Any |
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| changes in the building's piping which are
necessitated by the |
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| tap shall be at the expense of the person benefiting
from the |
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| tap.
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| If the utility determines that the landlord of the building |
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| is not the
party who benefited from the usage of the utility |
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| service, the customer
shall be so notified and shall also be |
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| informed by the utility of a right
to register a dispute |
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| pursuant to procedures developed by the Commission
for |
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| resolution of disputed bills, including his right to bring a |
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| complaint
before the Commission if an agreement with the |
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| utility cannot be reached.
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| In order to enable the customer to ascertain whether the |
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| level
of consumption is greater than the amounts billed in
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| other billing periods and to eliminate to the fullest extent
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| practicable consecutive estimated bills, the public utility |
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| shall make an
actual meter reading at least every second |
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09500HB2972ham001 |
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LRB095 06409 MJR 35521 a |
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| billing
period. If a meter reader is unable to gain access to |
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| the meter for the
purpose of making an actual reading, the |
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| public utility shall take other
appropriate and reasonable |
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| measures to read the meter. No late fees shall be charged to a |
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| residential customer for bills that are estimated by the |
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| utility.
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| Nothing in this Section shall preclude either the customer |
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| or the public
utility from filing a complaint with the State's |
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| Attorney located in the
county where the utility service is |
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| being rendered to allege an unlawful
theft of the customer's |
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| utility service.
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| (Source: P.A. 84-617.)
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| Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon |
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| becoming law.".
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