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.".