Sen. Antonio Muņoz
Filed: 2/25/2010
 
 

 




 

 		












09600SB0692sam001

LRB096 06759 MJR 37619 a






1

AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 692




2
    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 692 by replacing 
3
everything after the enacting clause with the following:

 
4
    "Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended  by adding 
5
Section 8-515 as follows:
 
6
    (220 ILCS 5/8-515 new)
7
    Sec. 8-515. Gas public utility employees; staffing.
8
    (a) The General Assembly finds that:
9
        (1) the reliability and safety of the gas system has 
10
    depended on a workforce of skilled and dedicated employees 
11
    equipped with technical training and experience;
12
        (2) the integrity and reliability of the system has 
13
    also depended on the industry's commitment to invest in 
14
    regular inspection and maintenance and to assure that it 
15
    can withstand the demands of heavy service requirements and 
16
    emergency situations;
 


 






09600SB0692sam001
- 2 -
LRB096 06759 MJR 37619 a




1
        (3) it is in the State's interest to protect the 
2
    interests of gas public utility employees who have 
3
    dedicated themselves to assuring reliable service to the 
4
    citizens of this State;
5
        (4) the Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company's workforce 
6
    quality is insufficient, does not assure safe and reliable 
7
    service to its customers, and does not adequately maintain 
8
    its system; this is evident by the nature of outages, the 
9
    delay in restoring service to customers, and the number of 
10
    complaints received by legislators; and
11
        (5) the General Assembly finds that it is necessary to 
12
    assure that employees have the requisite skills, 
13
    knowledge, and competence to provide reliable and safe 
14
    natural gas service.
15
    (b) The Commission shall establish appropriate workforce 
16
levels for gas public utilities.  The knowledge, skill, and 
17
competence levels to be demonstrated shall be consistent with 
18
those generally required of or by the gas public utilities in 
19
this State with respect to their employees.
20
    (c) Gas public utilities shall restore service for a 
21
customer within 24 hours after receiving notice that a customer 
22
is out of service.
23
    (d) A gas public utility that violates or fails to obey, 
24
observe, or comply with any order, decision, rule, regulation, 
25
direction, or requirement, or any part or provision thereof of 
26
the Commission, made or issued under authority of subsections 
 


 






09600SB0692sam001
- 3 -
LRB096 06759 MJR 37619 a




1
(b) or (c) of this Section shall be subject to a civil penalty 
2
of no more than $30,000 for each offense.
3
    (e) A gas public utility shall keep all repair appointments 
4
when a customer premises visit requires a customer to be 
5
present and inform a customer when a repair appointment 
6
requires the customer to be present.  If a gas public utility 
7
fails to satisfy the requirements of this subsection (e), then 
8
the gas public utility shall credit the customer $50 per missed 
9
appointment. A credit required by this subsection (e) does not 
10
apply when the gas public utility provides the customer with 
11
24-hour notice of its inability to keep the appointment.
 

12
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
13
becoming law.".