Senate Study Bill 1226 - Introduced SENATE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE BILL BY CHAIRPERSON PETERSEN) A BILL FOR An Act making cross-subsidization prohibitions inapplicable to 1 certain public utility rates or charges. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1728SC (2) 86 rn/sc
S.F. _____ Section 1. Section 476.78, Code 2015, is amended to read as 1 follows: 2 476.78 Cross-subsidization prohibited. 3 A public utility shall not directly or indirectly include 4 any costs or expenses attributable to providing nonutility 5 service in regulated rates or charges. Except for contracts 6 existing as of July 1, 1996, in cities or unincorporated 7 villages with a population of ten thousand or less according 8 to the 2010 federal decennial census, a public utility or 9 its affiliates shall not use vehicles, service tools and 10 instruments, or employees, the costs, salaries, or benefits 11 of which are recoverable in the regulated rates for electric 12 service or gas service to install, service, or repair 13 residential or commercial gas or electric heating, ventilating, 14 or air conditioning systems, or interior lighting systems 15 and fixtures; or to sell at retail heating, ventilating, 16 air conditioning, or interior lighting equipment. For the 17 purpose of this section , “commercial” means a place of business 18 primarily used for the storage or sale, at wholesale or retail, 19 of goods, wares, services, or merchandise. Nothing in this 20 section shall be construed to prohibit a public utility from 21 using its utility vehicles, service tools and instruments, 22 and employees to market systems, services, and equipment, to 23 light pilots, or to eliminate a customer emergency or threat 24 to public safety. 25 EXPLANATION 26 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 27 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 28 This bill modifies provisions relating to the prohibition on 29 cross-subsidization of public utility rates or charges. 30 Currently, a public utility or its affiliates is prohibited 31 from recovering in the regulated rates for electric service or 32 gas service the costs applicable to vehicles, service tools and 33 instruments, and the salaries and benefits of employees. This 34 prohibition is expressly inapplicable to contracts that existed 35 -1- LSB 1728SC (2) 86 rn/sc 1/ 2
S.F. _____ as of July 1, 1996. 1 The bill deletes the exception for contracts that existed 2 as of July 1, 1996, and instead provides an exception to the 3 prohibition applicable to cities or unincorporated villages 4 with a population of 10,000 or less according to the 2010 5 federal decennial census. 6 -2- LSB 1728SC (2) 86 rn/sc 2/ 2