Amend the amendment by inserting after the substitute title the following:
‘
Amend the bill by inserting after the title the following:
‘Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, this legislation needs to take effect before the expiration of the 90-day period in order to restore confidence in utility billing systems as soon as possible; and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,
Amend the amendment in section 1 in subsection 3 in the 4th line (page 1, line 20 in amendment) by striking out the following: " ratepayers and" and inserting the following: ' ratepayers or'
Amend the amendment by inserting after section 2 the following:
‘Sec. 3. Report on cost of management audit. The Public Utilities Commission shall submit a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy and utilities matters by January 15, 2019 on whether the commission has exercised the authority granted to it in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 113, subsection 3 to allocate the cost of a management audit to ratepayers or shareholders of an investor-owned public utility. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy and utilities matters may report out a bill to the First Regular Session of the 129th Legislature that amends Title 35-A, section 113, subsection 3.’
Amend the amendment by inserting after section 5 the following:
‘Sec. 6. Application. Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 1, section 302, that section of this Act that amends Title 35-A, section 113, subsection 3 applies to a management audit concluded at any time after the effective date of this Act.
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.’
Amend the amendment by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.
SUMMARY
This amendment makes the following changes to Committee Amendment "A."
1. It adds an emergency preamble and emergency clause.
2. It clarifies that the costs of the management audit may be allocated to ratepayers or shareholders.
3. It requires the Public Utilities Commission to submit a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy and utilities matters by January 15, 2019 on whether the commission has exercised the authority granted to it to allocate the cost of a management audit to ratepayers or shareholders of an investor-owned public utility. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy and utilities matters may report out a bill to the First Regular Session of the 129th Legislature that amends the provision of law governing the cost of a management audit.
4. It provides that the provision of law that authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to allocate the cost of a management audit to ratepayers or shareholders of an investor-owned public utility applies to a management audit concluded at any time after the effective date of the legislation.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)