Bill Text: IL HB0712 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Public Utilities Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning consumer education.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-12 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB0712 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2019-HB0712-Introduced.html

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101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2019 and 2020 HB0712 Introduced , by Rep. Michael J. Madigan SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
220 ILCS 5/19-125
Amends the Public Utilities Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning consumer education.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning regulation.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by changing
Section 19-125 as follows:
(220 ILCS 5/19-125)
Sec. 19-125. Consumer education.
(a) The The Commission shall make available upon request
and at no charge, and shall make available to the public on the
Internet through the State of Illinois World Wide Web site:
(1) a list of all certified alternative gas suppliers
serving residential and small commercial customers within
the service area of each gas utility including, in the case
of the Internet, computer links to available web sites of
the certified alternative gas suppliers;
(2) a list of all certified alternative gas suppliers
serving residential or small commercial customers that
have been found in the last 3 years by the Commission
pursuant to Section 10-108 to have failed to provide
service in accordance with this Act;
(3) guidelines to assist customers in determining
which gas supplier is most appropriate for each customer;
and

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(4) Internet links to providers of information that
enables customers to compare prices and services of gas
utilities and alternative gas suppliers, if and when that
information is available.
(a-5) The Commission shall develop no later than 6 months
after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th
General Assembly and maintain consumer education information
to help residential and small commercial consumers understand
their gas supply options and their rights and responsibilities.
The Commission shall publish the consumer education
information on its World Wide Web site.
(a-10) To assist the Commission in developing consumer
education information, the Commission shall form a working
group that shall consist of representatives of gas utilities
with residential and small commercial gas transportation
service programs, alternative gas suppliers, the Attorney
General, the Citizens Utility Board, and the Commission.
(a-15) At a minimum, the consumer education information
developed by the Commission shall include explanations or
descriptions of the following:
(1) The choices available to consumers to take gas
service from an alternative retail gas supplier or remain
as a retail customer of the gas utility.
(2) A consumer's rights and responsibilities in
receiving service from an alternative retail gas supplier
or remaining as a retail customer of the gas utility.

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(3) The gas utility's role in delivering gas,
including, but not limited to, utility response to calls
for service and gas leaks.
(4) The legal obligations of alternative retail gas
suppliers.
(5) The components of a bill that could be received by
a customer taking delivery services.
(6) The procedures available to customers to address
complaints against a gas utility or an alternative retail
gas supplier and a list of phone numbers and other contact
information for the Commission, the Attorney General, or
the Citizens Utility Board.
(7) Guidance to assist consumers in making educated
decisions when choosing their natural gas provider,
including:
(A) how to compare prices;
(B) questions to ask when considering natural gas
providers; and
(C) current and historical utility gas rates.
(8) The availability of the "Do Not Contact List" for
those who do not wish to be solicited by natural gas
providers.
(b) In any service area where customers are able to choose
their natural gas supplier, the Commission shall require gas
utilities and alternative gas suppliers to inform customers of
how they may contact the Commission in order to obtain

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information about the customer choice program.
(c) The Commission shall adopt a uniform disclosure that
alternative gas suppliers shall be required to complete for
each product offering. The uniform disclosure shall contain, at
a minimum:
(1) for products with a fixed price per therm, the
price per therm;
(2) the length of the initial term of the product, or,
if applicable, the expiration date of the initial term of
the product;
(3) the amount of the termination fees, if any;
(4) the amount of the administrative fees, other fees,
or recurring charges, if any, to be listed separately for
each and every fee or charge;
(5) for products with a variable price per therm, the
terms of such variability, including, but not limited to,
any index that is used to calculate the price and any
additional charges, costs and fees; and
(6) for products where a customer's charges are a fixed
amount per billing period regardless of the market price
for natural gas or the customer's natural gas consumption
during the billing period, the billing period covered.
If the alternative gas supplier will not offer a
different product for new customers as of the first of the
month, then the alternative gas supplier does not have to
provide new information until the first day of the month in

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which a different product or products are being offered.
The Commission shall post this information on its World
Wide Web site in a manner that shall enable customers to
compare prices, terms, and conditions offered by the
alternative gas suppliers. The website shall be updated at
least monthly and the Commission shall maintain this
information on its website for at least 12 months to allow
customers to compare the historical plans and prices for
all alternative gas suppliers.
(d) The Commission shall make available in print, upon
request and at no charge and on its World Wide Web site,
information on which customers of alternative gas suppliers
serving residential and small commercial customers may address
any complaint with regard to an alternative gas supplier's
obligations under Section 19-115 of this Article, including the
provision of service in accordance with the terms of its
contract, sales tactics, and rates. The Commission shall
maintain a summary by category and provider of all formal and
informal complaints it receives pursuant to this Section, and
it shall publish the summary on a quarterly basis on its World
Wide Web site. Individual customer information shall not be
included in the summary.
(e) The provisions of this Section shall apply only to
alternative gas suppliers serving or seeking to serve
residential and small commercial customers and only to the
extent such alternative gas suppliers provide services to

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residential and small commercial customers.
(Source: P.A. 95-1051, eff. 4-10-09.)