Senate File 2160 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2160 BY ZUMBACH A BILL FOR An Act relating to public utility billing practices. 1 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 2 TLSB 6196XS (2) 88 ja/rn

S.F. 2160 Section 1. Section 476.1A, subsection 2, Code 2020, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 2. However, sections 476.8A, 476.20, subsections 1 through 3 4 , 476.21 , 476.51 , 476.56 , 476.62 , and 476.66 and chapters 4 476A and 478 , to the extent applicable, apply to such electric 5 utilities. 6 Sec. 2. Section 476.1B, subsection 1, Code 2020, is amended 7 by adding the following new paragraph: 8 NEW PARAGRAPH . m. Enforcement of section 476.8A. 9 Sec. 3. Section 476.1B, subsection 3, Code 2020, is amended 10 to read as follows: 11 3. Unless otherwise specifically provided by statute, a 12 municipally owned utility providing local exchange services 13 is not subject to regulation by the board under this chapter 14 except for regulatory action pertaining to the enforcement 15 of sections 476.8A, 476.95 , 476.95A , 476.95B , 476.100 , and 16 476.102 . 17 Sec. 4. Section 476.1C, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code 18 2020, is amended to read as follows: 19 a. Are not subject to the regulation authority of 20 the utilities board under this chapter unless otherwise 21 specifically provided. Sections 476.8A, 476.10 , 476.20 , 22 476.21 , and 476.51 apply to such gas utilities. 23 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION . 476.8A Public utility billing —— 24 impermissible charges. 25 Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, 26 a public utility shall not charge a customer for, or attempt to 27 collect from a customer, any amounts attributable to services 28 provided by the public utility to the customer more than one 29 year ago, unless, as part of its normal billing practices, the 30 public utility previously attempted to collect the amounts 31 within one year after the public utility provided the services. 32 For purposes of this section, “public utility” includes a 33 person who furnishes solid waste collection to the public for 34 compensation. 35 -1- LSB 6196XS (2) 88 ja/rn 1/ 2

S.F. 2160 EXPLANATION 1 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 2 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 3 This bill relates to the billing practices of providers of 4 public utilities. 5 In addition to the definition of “public utility” provided 6 in Code section 476.1A, the bill defines a “public utility” to 7 include a person who furnishes solid waste collection to the 8 public for compensation. 9 The bill prohibits a public utility from charging a customer 10 for services provided by the public utility to the customer 11 more than one year ago, unless, as part of its normal billing 12 practices, the public utility previously attempted to collect 13 on the charges associated with such services within one year 14 after the public utility provided the services. 15 The bill also amends Code sections 476.1A, subsection 16 2; 476.1B, subsections 1 and 3; and 476.1C, subsection 1, 17 paragraph “a”, to provide that this prohibition applies to 18 electric public utilities having fewer than 10,000 customers, 19 electric cooperative corporations and associations, municipally 20 owned utilities furnishing gas or electricity, municipally 21 owned utilities providing local exchange services, and gas 22 public utilities having fewer than 2,000 customers. 23 -2- LSB 6196XS (2) 88 ja/rn 2/ 2