S.B. 15

1

ELECTRIC RESTRUCTURING STUDY
2 1999 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Sponsor: Lorin V. Jones
5 AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES; REPEALING OBSOLETE DUTIES OF
6 ELECTRICAL DEREGULATION AND CUSTOMER CHOICE TASK FORCE;
7 EXTENDING THE REPEAL DATE OF THE TASK FORCE; AND REPEALING RATE
8 FREEZE ON INVESTOR-OWNED ELECTRICAL CORPORATIONS AND RELATED
9 PROVISIONS.
10 This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
11 ENACTS:
12 54-7-12.5, Utah Code Annotated 1953
13 54-7-12.7, Utah Code Annotated 1953
14 63-55b-5401, Utah Code Annotated 1953
15 REPEALS:
16 54-7-12.3, as enacted by Chapter 176, Laws of Utah 1997
17 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
18 Section 1. Section 54-7-12.5 is enacted to read:
19 54-7-12.5. Electric Deregulation and Customer Choice Task Force.
20 (1) (a) There is reauthorized the Electric Deregulation and Customer Choice Task Force
21 created by Chapter 176, Laws of Utah 1997, consisting of the following members:
22 (i) five members of the Senate appointed by the president of the Senate, no more than three
23 of whom may be from the same political party; and
24 (ii) seven members of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the House
25 of Representatives, no more than five of whom may be from the same political party.
26 (b) (i) The president of the Senate shall designate a member of the Senate appointed under
27 Subsection (1)(a)(i) as a cochair of the task force.

28 (ii) The speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate a member of the House
29 of Representatives appointed under Subsection (1)(a)(ii) as a cochair of the task force.
30 (c) In conducting its business, the task force shall comply with the rules of legislative
31 interim committees.
32 (d) (i) The task force shall meet at least twice each year, but may meet quarterly, if the
33 chairs determine that the additional meetings are needed.
34 (ii) If the chairs determine that the task force should meet more than quarterly each year,
35 the chairs of the task force may ask for approval of additional meetings from the Legislative
36 Management Committee.
37 (e) Salaries and expenses of the members of the task force shall be paid in accordance with
38 Section 36-2-2 and Legislative Joint Rule 15.03.
39 (f) The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall provide staff support to
40 the task force.
41 (2) The task force shall:
42 (a) study possible electrical restructuring in and its effects on Utah;
43 (b) remain informed about developments in electrical restructuring on the federal level and
44 in other states; and
45 (c) monitor states that have implemented an electrical restructuring plan to learn from the
46 experiences of those states.
47 (3) In addition to the assistance of the Public Service Commission under Section
48 54-7-12.7 , the task force may request assistance from public and private resources as part of its
49 study.
50 (4) The task force shall report at least annually to the Public Utilities and Technology
51 Interim Committee.
52 Section 2. Section 54-7-12.7 is enacted to read:
53 54-7-12.7. Commission study of electrical restructuring -- Work with task force.
54 To assist the Electric Deregulation and Customer Choice Task Force in its study under
55 Section 54-7-12.5 , the Public Service Commission shall:
56 (1) study electrical restructuring, including developments on the federal level and in other
57 states; and
58 (2) as directed by the Electric Deregulation and Customer Choice Task Force, work with

59 that task force including providing the task force with reports.
60 Section 3. Section 63-55b-5401 is enacted to read:
61 63-55b-5401. Repeal date.
62 Sections 54-7-12.5 and 54-7-12.7 are repealed November 30, 2000.
63 Section 4. Repealer.
64 This act repeals:
65 Section 54-7-12.3, Task force to consider stranded cost issues -- Interim rate freeze.




Legislative Review Note
as of 12-7-98 12:11 PM

A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

Committee Note

The Business, Labor, and Economic Development Interim Committee recommended this bill.