H.B. No. 0143

Public service commission-consumer advocate.

 

Sponsored By:                              Representative(s) Ross and Illoway and Senator(s) Burns and Case

 

AN ACT relating to public utilities; creating an office of consumer advocate within the public service commission; providing powers and duties; providing for the transfer of personnel; providing for funding; repealing discretionary consumer advocate provision; making an appropriation; and providing for an effective date.

 

1/15/2003         Bill Number Assigned

1/16/2003         H Received for Introduction

1/16/2003         H Introduced and Referred to H07

1/28/2003         H07 Recommended Amend and Do Pass

 

ROLL CALL

Ayes:  Representative(s) Illoway, Jansen, Johnson, L., Martin and Ross

Nays:  Representative(s) Latta, McOmie, Petersen and Prosser

Ayes 5    Nays 4    Excused 0    Absent 0    Conflicts 0

 

1/28/2003         H Rereferred to H02

1/31/2003         H02 Recommended Do Pass

 

ROLL CALL

Ayes:  Representative(s) Jones, Jorgensen, Meuli, Nicholas, Philp, Reese and Tipton

Ayes 7    Nays 0    Excused 0    Absent 0    Conflicts 0

 

1/31/2003         H Placed on General File

 

2/6/2003          H Amendments Considered

HB0143HS001/A     ADOPTED

Page 2-lines 14 through 21                 Delete entirely and insert:

                                                          "(i)  Act as a party in any proceeding before the commission, with the same rights and subject to the same obligations and requirements, including confidentiality requirements, as other parties to the proceeding;

                                                          (ii)  Appeal any final action or other action or inaction of the commission in proceedings in which the consumer advocate is a party before the commission;

                                                          (iii)  Seek permission to appear as amicus curiae in any court proceeding in order to accomplish the purposes specified in this article;".

Page 3-line 6                                    After "as" insert "other parties before".

Page 4-line 13                                  After "(a)" delete balance of the line and insert "Four hundred eighteen thousand, five hundred dollars ($418,500.00)".

Page 4-line 16                                  After "position," insert "additional positions authorized by this act,".

Page 4-line 20                                  Delete "Four (4)" insert "Six (6)".

Page 5-line 4                                    After "37-2-403." insert "In addition to the administrator position and the transfer of three (3) existing positions, two (2) additional full-time positions are authorized for the office of consumer advocate.  The administrator of the office shall be subject to the provisions of W.S. 9-1-202. All other positions of the office shall be employed in accordance with personnel rules adopted by the personnel division of the department of administration and information.  Nothing in this act shall be deemed to affect the property interests of current permanent employees transferred to the office of consumer advocate pursuant to this act.".  ROSS, CHAIRMAN

 

HB0143HW001/AC    (CORRECTED COPY)  ADOPTED

Page 2-line 8                                          After "." insert "In the exercise of its powers the office of the consumer advocate shall balance the interests of those it represents with the interests of the public utilities, considering all relevant factors, including, but not limited to, the provision of safe, efficient and reliable utility services at reasonable prices.".

Page 3-line 3                                          Delete ";" insert ".".

Page 3-lines 5 through 7                                     Delete entirely, including the standing committee amendment (HB0143HS001/A) to these lines and insert:

"(b)  In any commission docketed case initiated by the regulated company in which the consumer advocate is a party, the consumer advocate shall have the same access to books, maps, contracts, reports and records of every description as the commission. For all other instances, the consumer advocate shall have the same access as other parties.".

Page 3-line 9                                          Delete "(b)" insert "(c)".  ROSS

 

HB0143HW002/F     FAILED

Page 4-line 14                                        Delete "special revenue fund under W.S.".

Page 4-line 15                                        Delete "37-2-106" insert "general fund".  REESE

 

2/6/2003          H Passed CoW

2/7/2003          H Passed 2nd Reading

2/10/2003         H Passed 3rd Reading

 

ROLL CALL

Ayes:  Representative(s) Alden, Anderson, R., Bagby, Berger, Boswell, Buchanan, Bucholz, Childers, Cooper, Diercks, Edwards, Esquibel, Gentile, Gilmore, Hageman, Harshman, Harvey, Hinckley, Illoway, Jansen, Johnson, L., Johnson, W., Jorgensen, Landon, Law, Luthi, Martin, Meuli, Meyer, Morgan, Nicholas, Parady, Petersen, Powers, Prosser, Reese, Robinson, Ross, Semlek, Simpson, Slater, Thompson, Walsh, Warren and Wasserburger.

Nays:  Representative(s) Baker, Brechtel, Cohee, Jones, Latta, Lockhart, McMurtrey, McOmie, Miller, D., Olsen, Osborn, Philp, Tipton and Wostenberg.

Excused:  Representative(s) Iekel

Ayes 45    Nays 14    Excused 1    Absent 0    Conflicts 0

 

2/11/2003         S Received for Introduction

2/12/2003         S Introduced and Referred to S07

2/20/2003         S07 Recommended Amend and Do Pass

 

ROLL CALL

Ayes:  Senator(s) Case, Massie, Meier, Scott and Sessions

Ayes 5    Nays 0    Excused 0    Absent 0    Conflicts 0

 

2/20/2003         S Rereferred to S02

2/24/2003         S02 Recommended Do Pass

 

ROLL CALL

Ayes:  Senator(s) Cathcart, Job and Schiffer

Nays:  Senator(s) Devin and Hines

Ayes 3    Nays 2    Excused 0    Absent 0    Conflicts 0

 

2/24/2003         S Placed on General File

 

2/28/2003         S Amendments Considered

HB0143SS001/AE    (TO ENGROSSED COPY)     ADOPTED

Page 1-line 5                                          After "appropriation;" insert "providing a sunset;".

Page 2-line 7                                          Delete "or broad classes of Wyoming citizens" insert "and all classes of utility customers".

Page 2-line 9                                          Delete "balance".

Page 2-line 10                                        Delete.

Page 2-line 11                                        Delete through "considering" insert "consider".

Page 2-line 13                                        Before "reasonable" insert "just and".

Page 2-line 22                                        After "requirements" insert "and limitations on ex parte communications".

Page 3-line 1                                          After "Appeal" delete balance of line and insert "actions of the commission in accordance with W.S. 37-2-219;".

Page 3-lines 2 and 3                             Delete.

Page 3-after line 22                               Insert:

                "(d)  The consumer advocate may enter into stipulations with other parties in any proceeding to balance the interests of those it represents with the interests of the public utilities as means of minimizing the weaknesses of the adversarial process, improving the quality of resulting decisions in a highly technical environment and minimizing the cost of regulation.".

Page 4-line 12                                        Before "Funding" insert "(a)".

Page 4-after line 18                               Insert and renumber:

                "(b)  This article is repealed effective July 1, 2009.".

Page 6-line 2                                          Delete "property interests" insert "employment rights".  MEIER, CHAIRMAN

 

HB0143SW001/FCE   (CORRECTED COPY)  (TO ENGROSSED COPY)     FAILED

Page 3-line 14                                        After "company" insert "or initiated by the commission, provided the case is not initiated as a result of direct communication by the consumer advocate,".

Page 3-line 17                                        Delete "all other instances" insert "docketed cases not initiated by the regulated company nor by the commission". MEIER

 

2/28/2003         S Passed CoW

3/1/2003          S Laid Back Without Prejudice

3/3/2003          S Passed 2nd Reading

3/3/2003          S Suspended Rules

 

ROLL CALL

Ayes:  Senator(s) Anderson, J., Barrasso, Barton, Boggs, Burns, Caller, Cathcart, Coe, Decaria, Devin, Erb, Geis, Hanes, Hawks, Hines, Job, Kunz, Larson, Massie, Mockler, Northrup, Peck, Roberts, Schiffer, Scott, Sessions and Vasey.

Nays:  Senator(s) Case and Goodenough.

Excused:  Senator(s) Meier

Ayes 27    Nays 2    Excused 1    Absent 0    Conflicts 0

 

3/3/2003          S Laid Back Without Prejudice

3/4/2003          S Passed 3rd Reading

 

ROLL CALL

Ayes:  Senator(s) Anderson, J., Barton, Boggs, Burns, Caller, Cathcart, Coe, Decaria, Goodenough, Hanes, Job, Massie, Mockler, Roberts, Schiffer, Scott, Sessions and Vasey.

Nays:  Senator(s) Barrasso, Case, Devin, Erb, Geis, Hawks, Hines, Kunz, Larson, Meier, Northrup and Peck.

Ayes 18    Nays 12    Excused 0    Absent 0    Conflicts 0

 

3/4/2003          H Did Concur

 

ROLL CALL

Ayes:  Representative(s) Alden, Anderson, R., Bagby, Berger, Boswell, Brechtel, Buchanan, Cohee, Cooper, Diercks, Esquibel, Gentile, Gilmore, Harshman, Harvey, Hinckley, Iekel, Illoway, Jansen, Johnson, L., Johnson, W., Jorgensen, Landon, Law, Lockhart, Martin, McMurtrey, McOmie, Meuli, Meyer, Morgan, Nicholas, Olsen, Osborn, Parady, Petersen, Reese, Robinson, Ross, Semlek, Simpson, Slater, Thompson, Tipton, Walsh, Warren, Wasserburger and Wostenberg.

Nays:  Representative(s) Hageman, Jones, Latta, Miller, D., Philp and Prosser.

Excused:  Representative(s) Baker, Bucholz, Childers, Edwards, Luthi and Powers.

Ayes 48    Nays 6    Excused 6    Absent 0    Conflicts 0

 

3/4/2003          Assigned Number HEA 0120

3/5/2003          H Speaker Signed HEA No. 0120

3/5/2003          S President Signed HEA No. 0120

3/6/2003          Governor Signed HEA No. 120

 

Chapter No. 0172  Session Laws of Wyoming 2003.