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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 | Section 9-201 as follows:
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6 | (220 ILCS 5/9-201) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 9-201)
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7 | Sec. 9-201.
(a) Unless the Commission otherwise orders, and | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | except as
otherwise provided in this Section, no change shall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | be made by any
public utility in any rate or other charge or | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | classification, or in any
rule, regulation, practice or | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | contract relating to or affecting any rate
or other charge, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | classification or service, or in any privilege or
facility, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | except after 45 days' notice to the Commission and to the
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14 | public as herein provided. Such notice shall be given by filing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | with
the Commission and keeping open for public inspection new | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | schedules or
supplements stating plainly the change or changes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | to be made in the
schedule or schedules then in force, and the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | time when the change or
changes will go into effect, and by | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | publication in a newspaper of
general circulation or such other | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | notice to persons affected by such
change as may be prescribed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | by rule of the Commission. The Commission,
for good cause | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | shown, may allow changes without requiring the 45 days'
notice | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | herein provided for, by an order specifying the changes so to |
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1 | be
made and the time when they shall take effect and the manner | ||||||
2 | in which
they shall be filed and published.
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3 | When any change is proposed in any rate or other charge, or
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4 | classification, or in any rule, regulation, practice, or | ||||||
5 | contract
relating to or affecting any rate or other charge, | ||||||
6 | classification or
service, or in any privilege or facility, | ||||||
7 | such proposed change shall be
plainly indicated on the new | ||||||
8 | schedule filed with the Commission, by some
character to be | ||||||
9 | designated by the Commission, immediately preceding or
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10 | following the item.
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11 | When any public utility providing water or sewer service | ||||||
12 | proposes any
change in any rate or other charge, or | ||||||
13 | classification, or in any rule,
regulation, practice, or | ||||||
14 | contract relating to or affecting any rate or
other charge, | ||||||
15 | classification or service, or in any privilege or facility,
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16 | such utility shall, in addition to the other notice | ||||||
17 | requirements of this
Act, provide notice of such change to all | ||||||
18 | customers potentially affected by
including a notice and | ||||||
19 | description of such change, and of Commission
procedures for | ||||||
20 | intervention, in the first bill sent to each such customer
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21 | after the filing of the proposed change.
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22 | (b) Whenever there shall be filed with the Commission any | ||||||
23 | schedule
stating an individual or joint rate or other charge, | ||||||
24 | classification,
contract, practice, rule or regulation, the | ||||||
25 | Commission shall have power,
and it is hereby given authority, | ||||||
26 | either upon complaint or upon its own
initiative without |
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1 | complaint, at once, and if it so orders, without
answer or | ||||||
2 | other formal pleadings by the interested public utility or
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3 | utilities, but upon reasonable notice, to enter upon a hearing
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4 | concerning the propriety of such rate or other charge, | ||||||
5 | classification,
contract, practice, rule or regulation, and | ||||||
6 | pending the hearing and
decision thereon, such rate or other | ||||||
7 | charge, classification, contract,
practice, rule or regulation | ||||||
8 | shall not go into effect. The period of
suspension of such rate | ||||||
9 | or other charge, classification, contract,
practice, rule or | ||||||
10 | regulation shall not extend more than 105 days beyond
the time | ||||||
11 | when such rate or other charge, classification, contract,
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12 | practice, rule or regulation would otherwise go into effect | ||||||
13 | unless the
Commission, in its discretion, extends the period of | ||||||
14 | suspension for a
further period not exceeding 6 months.
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15 | All rates or other charges, classifications, contracts, | ||||||
16 | practices, rules or
regulations not so suspended shall, on the | ||||||
17 | expiration of 45 days from
the time of filing the same with the | ||||||
18 | Commission, or of such lesser time
as the Commission may grant, | ||||||
19 | go into effect and be the established and
effective rates or | ||||||
20 | other charges, classifications, contracts, practices,
rules | ||||||
21 | and regulations, subject to the power of the Commission, after | ||||||
22 | a
hearing had on its own motion or upon complaint, as herein | ||||||
23 | provided, to
alter or modify the same.
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24 | Within 30 days after such changes have been
authorized by | ||||||
25 | the Commission, copies of the new or revised schedules
shall be | ||||||
26 | posted or filed in accordance with the terms of Section 9-103 |
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1 | of
this Act, in such a manner that all changes shall be plainly | ||||||
2 | indicated.
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3 | (c) If the Commission enters upon a hearing concerning the | ||||||
4 | propriety of
any proposed rate or other charge, classification, | ||||||
5 | contract, practice, rule
or regulation, the Commission shall | ||||||
6 | establish the rates or other charges,
classifications, | ||||||
7 | contracts, practices, rules or regulations proposed, in
whole | ||||||
8 | or in part, or others in lieu thereof, which it shall find to | ||||||
9 | be just
and reasonable. In such hearing, the burden of proof to | ||||||
10 | establish the justness
and reasonableness of the proposed rates | ||||||
11 | or other charges, classifications,
contracts, practices, rules | ||||||
12 | or regulations, in whole and in part, shall be
upon the | ||||||
13 | utility. The Attorney General, upon request, must be given the | ||||||
14 | opportunity to present oral arguments on the propriety of any | ||||||
15 | proposed rate or other charge, classification, contract, | ||||||
16 | practice, rule,
or regulation at the hearing. No rate or other | ||||||
17 | charge, classification, contract,
practice, rule or regulation | ||||||
18 | shall be found just and reasonable unless it
is consistent with | ||||||
19 | Sections of this Article.
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20 | (Source: P.A. 84-617.)
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21 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
22 | becoming law.
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