Amendment SSA1-SB614

SB614-SSA1, s. 158 Section 158. 196.85 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB614-SSA1,52,4 196.85 (2) The commission shall annually, within 90 days of the commencement of each fiscal year, calculate the total of its expenditures during the prior fiscal year which are reasonably attributable to the performance of its duties relating to public utilities, regulated districts, sewerage systems and power districts under this chapter and chs. 66, 184 and 198 and expenditures of the state for state government operations to support the performance of such duties. For purposes of such calculation, 90% of the expenditures so determined shall be expenditures of the commission and 10% of the expenditures so determined shall be expenditures for state government operations. The commission shall deduct from this total all amounts chargeable to public utilities, regulated districts, sewerage systems and power districts under sub. (1) and s. 184.10 (3). The commission shall assess a sum equal to the remainder plus 10% of the remainder to the public utilities , regulated districts and power districts in proportion to their respective gross operating revenues during the last calendar year, derived from intrastate operations. If, at the time of payment, the prior year's expenditures made under this section exceeded the payment made under this section in the prior year, the commission shall charge the remainder to the public utilities, regulated districts and power districts in proportion to their gross operating revenues during the last calendar year. If, at the time of payment it is determined that the prior year's expenditures made under this section were less than the payment made under this section in the prior year, the commission shall credit the difference to the current year's payment. The assessment shall be paid within 30 days after the bill has been mailed to the public utilities, regulated districts and power districts. The bill constitutes notice of the assessment and demand of payment. Ninety percent of the payment shall be credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.155 (1) (g).

SB614-SSA1, s. 159 Section 159. 196.85 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB614-SSA1,52,19 196.85 (3) If any public utility, regulated district, sewerage system or power district is billed under sub. (1) or (2) and fails to pay the bill within 30 days or fails to file objections to the bill with the commission, as provided in this subsection, the commission shall transmit to the state treasurer a certified copy of the bill, together with notice of failure to pay the bill, and on the same day the commission shall mail by registered mail to the public utility, regulated district, sewerage system or power district a copy of the notice which it has transmitted to the state treasurer. Within 10 days after the receipt of notice and certified copy of the bill the state treasurer shall levy the amount stated on the bill to be due, with interest, by distress and sale of any property, including stocks, securities, bank accounts, evidences of debt, and accounts receivable belonging to the delinquent public utility, regulated district, sewerage system or power district. The levy by distress and sale shall be governed by s. 74.10, 1985 stats., except that it shall be made by the state treasurer and that goods and chattels anywhere within the state may be levied upon.

SB614-SSA1, s. 160 Section 160. 196.85 (4) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB614-SSA1,53,6 196.85 (4) (a) Within 30 days after the date of the mailing of any bill under subs. (1) and (2) the public utility, regulated district, sewerage system or power district that has been billed may file with the commission objections setting out in detail the grounds upon which the objector regards the bill to be excessive, erroneous, unlawful or invalid. The commission, after notice to the objector, shall hold a hearing upon the objections, from 5 to 10 days after providing the notice. If after the hearing the commission finds any part of the bill to be excessive, erroneous, unlawful or invalid it shall record its findings upon its minutes and transmit to the objector by registered mail an amended bill, in accordance with the findings. The amended bill shall have the same force and effect under this section as an original bill rendered under subs. (1) and (2).

SB614-SSA1, s. 161 Section 161. 196.85 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB614-SSA1,53,18 196.85 (5) No suit or proceeding may be maintained in any court to restrain or delay the collection or payment of any bill rendered under subs. (1) and (2). Every public utility, regulated district, sewerage system or power district that is billed shall pay the amount of the bill, and after payment may in the manner provided under this section, at any time within 2 years from the date the payment was made, sue the state to recover the amount paid plus interest from the date of payment, upon the ground that the assessment was excessive, erroneous, unlawful or invalid in whole or in part. If the court finds that any part of the bill for which payment was made was excessive, erroneous, unlawful or invalid, the state treasurer shall make a refund to the claimant as directed by the court. The refund shall be charged to the appropriations to the commission.

SB614-SSA1, s. 162 Section 162. Nonstatutory provisions; natural resources.

SB614-SSA1,53,24 (1)  Rule making. The department of natural resources shall submit in proposed form any rules necessary to implement the memorandum of understanding under section 196.025 (2) of the statutes, as created by this act, to the legislative council staff under section 227.15 (1) of the statutes no later than the first day of the 19th month beginning after the effective date of this subsection.

SB614-SSA1, s. 163 Section 163 . Nonstatutory provisions; public service commission.

SB614-SSA1,54,1 (1) Initial filings of rates and schedules.

SB614-SSA1,54,6 (a)   Notwithstanding section 196.19 of the statutes, as affected by this act, a regulated district, as defined in section 196.01 (6m) of the statutes, as created by this act, is not required to file the schedule of rates, tolls and charges under section 196.19 of the statutes, as affected by this act, within the first 90 days after the effective date of this paragraph.

SB614-SSA1,54,12 (b)  No later than 90 days after the effective date of this paragraph, a regulated district, as defined in section 196.01 (6m) of the statutes, as created by this act, shall file its initial schedule of rates, tolls and charges under section 196.19 of the statutes, as affected by this act. The initial filing of the schedule under this paragraph shall be treated as a change constituting an increase in rates under sections 196.03, 196.20 and 196.37 of the statutes, as affected by this act.

SB614-SSA1,54,16 (c) Notwithstanding section 196.19 of the statutes, as affected by this act, rates of a regulated district that are in effect on the effective date of paragraph may continue in effect until the public service commission completes its review of the initial filing of the schedule under paragraph (b ).

SB614-SSA1,54,19 (d) No later than 18 months after the effective date of this paragraph, the public service commission shall complete its review of the initial filing of the schedule under paragraph (b).

SB614-SSA1,54,20 (2)  Rule making.

SB614-SSA1,54,24 (a) The public service commission shall submit in proposed form the rules required under section 196.49 (3) (e) of the statutes, as created by this act, to the legislative council staff under section 227.15 (1) of the statutes no later than the first day of the 7th month beginning after the effective date of this paragraph.

SB614-SSA1,55,5 (b) The public service commission shall submit in proposed form any rules necessary to implement the memorandum of understanding under section 196.025 (2) of the statutes, as created by this act, to the legislative council staff under section 227.15 (1) of the statutes no later than the first day of the 19th month beginning after the effective date of this paragraph.

SB614-SSA1,55,9 (3)  Effect on pending complaints. This act does not divest the public service commission of jurisdiction over, or change the standards to be applied in, any complaint pending with the public service commission on the effective date of this subsection.

SB614-SSA1,55,17 (4) Public service commission study. The public service commission shall study the likely effects of any sale or lease of the assets of a metropolitan sewerage district created under section 66.882 of the statutes on the rates charged for sewerage services in the metropolitan sewerage district. No later than 6 months after the public service commission completes its review of the initial filing of the schedule under subsection (1) (b), the public service commission shall report the results of its study to the legislature in the manner provided under section 13.172 (2) of the statutes, to the metropolitan sewerage district and to the governor.

SB614-SSA1,55,23 (5)   Project position authorization. The authorized FTE positions for the public service commission are increased by 1.0 PR project position to support the public service commission's regulatory responsibilities associated with regulated districts, as defined under section 196.01 (6m) of the statutes, as created by this act, for the period beginning on July 1, 1996, and ending on June 30, 1998, to be funded from the appropriation under section 20.155 (1) (g) of the statutes.

SB614-SSA1, s. 164 Section 164. Appropriation changes.

SB614-SSA1,56,8 (1) Permanent position authorizations and funding. In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation to the public service commission under section 20.155 (1) (g) of the statutes, as affected by the acts of 1995, the dollar amount is increased by $230,100 for fiscal year 1996-97 to increase the authorized FTE positions for the public service commission by 5.0 PR positions to support the public service commission's regulatory responsibilities associated with regulated districts, as defined under section 196.01 (6m) of the statutes, as created by this act. 

SB614-SSA1,56,13 (2) Project position funding. In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation to the public service commission under section 20.155 (1) (g) of the statutes, as affected by the acts of 1995, the dollar amount is increased by $43,400 for fiscal year 1996-97 to fund 1.0 PR project position authorized under Section 163 (5) of this act. 

SB614-SSA1,56,19 (3)  Regulation of regulated districts. In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation to the public service commission under section 20.155 (1) (g) of the statutes, as affected by the acts of 1995, the dollar amount is increased by $164,800 for fiscal year 1996-97 for the purpose of performing the public service commission's regulatory responsibilities associated with regulated districts, as defined under section 196.01 (6m) of the statutes, as created by this act.

SB614-SSA1,56,25 (4) Intervenor financing. In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation to the public service commission under section 20.155 (1) (j) of the statutes, as affected by the acts of 1995, the dollar amount is increased by $50,000 for fiscal year 1996-97 to provide intervenor financing for proceedings relating to regulated districts, as defined under section 196.01 (6m) of the statutes, as created by this act.

SB614-SSA1, s. 165 Section 165. Initial applicability.

SB614-SSA1,57,4 (1) Change, amendment and recision of orders. The treatment of section 196.39 of the statutes first applies to orders issued on the effective date of this subsection. 

SB614-SSA1, s. 166 Section 166 . Effective dates. This act takes effect on the first day of the first month beginning after the public service commission issues a final order in Investigation of Complaint Concerning the Rates and Practices of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, Docket Number 9308-SR-102, but not earlier than July 1, 1996, or on January 1, 1997, whichever is earlier, except as follows:

SB614-SSA1,57,12 (1) The repeal and recreation of section 196.44 (2) of the statutes takes effect on October 1, 1996, or on the general effective date of the act under Section 166 (intro.), whichever is later.

SB614-SSA1,57,14 (2) The treatment of section 196.06 of the statutes takes effect on July 1, 1997, or on the first day of the 13th month beginning after publication, whichever is later.

SB614-SSA1,57,15 (End)