An Act To Reduce Additional State Fees for Consumer-owned Electric Utility Customers
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §3503, sub-§3-A is enacted to read:
3-A. Limitation on state fees. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a state fee or other charge established after the effective date of this subsection does not apply to and may not be imposed on a consumer-owned transmission and distribution utility or its customers' bills unless that fee or other charge has been approved by a 2/3 vote of all members of each House of the Legislature. Any state fee or other charge that does not meet the requirements of this subsection does not apply to any consumer-owned transmission and distribution utility or its customers' bills. For purposes of this subsection, "state fee or other charge" means any fee or charge imposed by any state law or rule or by the commission or any other state agency pursuant to any authority under state law or rule, but does not include state taxes imposed or collected under Title 36.
summary
This bill requires that any state fee or other charge imposed after the effective date of the bill on a consumer-owned transmission and distribution utility or on its customers' bills must be approved by a 2/3 vote of all members of each House of the Legislature.