SB614: Bill Text

SB614,45,23 (b) Acquire the stock of a public utility or any part thereof.

SB614,45,25 (e) Sell, acquire, lease or rent any regulated district plant or property constituting an operating unit or system.

SB614, s. 138 Section 138. 196.80 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB614,46,12 196.80 (3) The interested public utility or regulated district shall make an application for the approval and consent of the commission under this section. The application shall contain a concise statement of the proposed action, the reasons for the action and any other information required by the commission. If an application is filed, the commission shall investigate the application. The investigation may be with or without public hearing. If the commission conducts a public hearing, the hearing shall be upon such notice as the commission may require. If the commission finds that the proposed action is consistent with the public interest, it shall give its consent and approval in writing. In reaching its determination the commission shall take into consideration the reasonable value of the property and assets of the corporation to be acquired or merged.

SB614, s. 139 Section 139. 196.81 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB614,46,21 196.81 (1) No A public utility or regulated district may not abandon or discontinue any line or extension or service thereon without first securing the approval of the commission. In granting its approval, the commission may impose any term, condition or requirement it deems necessary to protect the public interest. If a public utility or regulated district abandons or discontinues a line or extension or service thereon upon receiving commission approval, the public utility shall be deemed to have waived or regulated district waives any objection to any term, condition or requirement imposed by the commission in granting the approval.

SB614, s. 140 Section 140. 196.85 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB614,47,22 196.85 (1) If the commission in a proceeding upon its own motion, on complaint, or upon an application to it deems it necessary in order to carry out the duties imposed upon it by law to investigate the books, accounts, practices and activities of, or make appraisals of the property of any public utility, regulated district, power district or sewerage system or to render any engineering or accounting services to any public utility, regulated district, power district or sewerage system, the public utility, regulated district, power district or sewerage system shall pay the expenses attributable to the investigation, including the cost of litigation, appraisal or service. The commission shall mail a bill for the expenses to the public utility, regulated district, power district or sewerage system either at the conclusion of the investigation, appraisal or services, or during its progress. The bill constitutes notice of the assessment and demand of payment. The public utility, regulated district, power district or sewerage system shall, within 30 days after the mailing of the bill pay to the commission the amount of the special expense for which it is billed. Ninety percent of the payment shall be credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.155 (1) (g). The total amount in any one calendar year for which any public utility, regulated district, power district or sewerage system is liable, by reason of costs incurred by the commission within the calendar year, including charges under s. 184.10 (3), may not exceed four-fifths of one percent of its gross operating revenues derived from intrastate operations in the last preceding calendar year. Nothing in this subsection shall prevent the commission from rendering bills in one calendar year for costs incurred within a previous year. For the purpose of calculating the costs of investigations, appraisals and other services under this subsection, 90% of the costs determined shall be costs of the commission and 10% of the costs determined shall be costs of state government operations.

SB614, s. 141 Section 141. 196.85 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB614,48,23 196.85 (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, s. 142 Section 142. 196.85 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB614,49,14 196.85 (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, s. 143 Section 143. 196.85 (4) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB614,50,2 196.85 (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, s. 144 Section 144. 196.85 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB614,50,14 196.85 (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, s. 145 Section 145. Nonstatutory provisions.

SB614,50,16 (1) Initial filings of rates and schedules.

SB614,50,21 (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.

SB614,51,2 (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 196.20 and 196.39 of the statutes, as affected by this act.

SB614,51,6 (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) .

SB614,51,9 (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).

SB614,51,14 (2)  Rule making.  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 subsection.

SB614,51,17 (3)  Effect on pending complaints. This act does not divest the public service commission over, or change the standards to be applied in, any complaint pending with the public service commission on the effective date of this subsection.

SB614,51,24 (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 June 30, 1998, 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.

SB614,52,5 (5)  Excess reserves refund. The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District commission shall develop and, upon approval by the public service commission, implement a plan to refund to Milwaukee County residents that portion of current reserves that are being held by the district and that are in excess of prudent reserve requirements, as determined by the public service commission.

SB614, s. 146 Section 146. Effective dates. This act takes effect on July 1, 1996, or on the day after publication, whichever is later, except as follows:

SB614,52,9 (1) The repeal and recreation of section 196.44 (2) of the statutes takes effect on October 1, 1996.

SB614,52,11 (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.

SB614,52,12 (End)