95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
SB0618

 

Introduced 2/8/2007, by Sen. Debbie DeFrancesco Halvorson

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
220 ILCS 5/4-602 new
220 ILCS 5/4-603 new

    Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission shall conduct a comprehensive workforce analysis study of each electric utility to determine the adequacy of the total in-house staffing in each job classification or job title critical to maintaining quality reliability and restoring service in each electric utility's service territory. Provides that each report shall contain a yearly detailed comparison beginning with 1995 and ending in 2006 of certain ratios for each electric utility. Provides that the ratios shall be reported from each utility's named service area, district, division, outlying area, village, municipality, reporting point, or region. Provides that the analysis shall determine the total number of contractor employees for the same time frame and shall be conducted in the same manner as the in-house analysis. Provides that the Commission may hold public hearings while conducting the analysis to assist in the adequacy of the study. Requires the Commission to hold public hearings on the study and present the results to the General Assembly no later than January 1, 2008. Provides that the Commission shall require electric utilities to develop and implement strategies to attract and retain workers and remedy any deficiencies found by the study. Provides that the Commission shall develop and implement rules to require each electric utility to employ an adequately sized, well-trained in-house utility work force, including, but not limited to, benchmarks for employee staffing levels for each classification and employee training for each classification. Effective immediately.


LRB095 10878 MJR 31158 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB0618 LRB095 10878 MJR 31158 b

1     AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by adding
5 Sections 4-602 and 4-603 as follows:
 
6     (220 ILCS 5/4-602 new)
7     Sec. 4-602. Electric utility workforce study.
8     (a) The Commission shall conduct a comprehensive workforce
9 analysis study of each electric utility to determine the
10 adequacy of the total in-house staffing in each job
11 classification or job title critical to maintaining quality
12 reliability and restoring service in each electric utility's
13 service territory. Each report shall contain a yearly detailed
14 comparison beginning with 1995 and ending in 2006 of each
15 electric utility's ratio of:
16         (1) in-house workers, commonly referred to as
17     "linemen", to customers;
18         (2) customer service call-center employees to
19     customers; and
20         (3) meter service or repair employees to customers.
21     The ratios shall be reported from each utility's named
22 service area, district, division, outlying area, village,
23 municipality, reporting point, or region. The analysis shall

 

 

SB0618 - 2 - LRB095 10878 MJR 31158 b

1 determine the total number of contractor employees for the same
2 time frame and shall be conducted in the same manner as the
3 in-house analysis.
4     (b) The Commission may hold public hearings while
5 conducting the analysis to assist in the adequacy of the study.
6 The Commission must hold public hearings on the study and
7 present the results to the General Assembly no later than
8 January 1, 2008.
9     (c) The Commission shall require electric utilities to
10 develop and implement strategies to attract and retain workers
11 and remedy any deficiencies found by the study.
 
12     (220 ILCS 5/4-603 new)
13     Sec. 4-603. Adequate employment for in-house utility
14 employees. The Commission shall develop and implement rules to
15 require each electric utility to employ an adequately sized,
16 well-trained in-house utility work force, including, but not
17 limited to, benchmarks for employee staffing levels for each
18 classification and employee training for each classification.
 
19     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
20 becoming law.