Bill Text: IL HB0712 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced
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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1 | AN ACT concerning regulation.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by changing | |||||||||||||||||||
5 | Section 19-125 as follows:
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6 | (220 ILCS 5/19-125)
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7 | Sec. 19-125. Consumer education.
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8 | (a) The
The Commission shall make available upon request | |||||||||||||||||||
9 | and at no charge, and
shall make available to the public
on the | |||||||||||||||||||
10 | Internet through the State of Illinois World Wide Web site:
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11 | (1) a list of all certified alternative gas suppliers | |||||||||||||||||||
12 | serving residential
and
small commercial customers
within | |||||||||||||||||||
13 | the service area of each gas utility including, in the case | |||||||||||||||||||
14 | of the
Internet, computer links to available web sites of | |||||||||||||||||||
15 | the certified alternative
gas
suppliers;
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16 | (2) a list of all certified alternative gas suppliers | |||||||||||||||||||
17 | serving residential
or
small commercial customers
that | |||||||||||||||||||
18 | have been found in the last 3 years by the Commission | |||||||||||||||||||
19 | pursuant to Section
10-108 to have failed
to provide | |||||||||||||||||||
20 | service in accordance with this Act;
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21 | (3) guidelines to assist customers in determining | |||||||||||||||||||
22 | which gas supplier is
most
appropriate for each
customer; | |||||||||||||||||||
23 | and
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1 | (4) Internet links to providers of information
that | ||||||
2 | enables customers
to
compare prices and
services of gas | ||||||
3 | utilities and alternative gas suppliers, if and
when that | ||||||
4 | information is available.
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5 | (a-5) The Commission shall develop no later than 6 months | ||||||
6 | after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th | ||||||
7 | General Assembly and maintain consumer education information | ||||||
8 | to help residential and small commercial consumers understand | ||||||
9 | their gas supply options and their rights and responsibilities. | ||||||
10 | The Commission shall publish the consumer education | ||||||
11 | information on its World Wide Web site. | ||||||
12 | (a-10) To assist the Commission in developing consumer | ||||||
13 | education information, the Commission shall form a working | ||||||
14 | group that shall consist of representatives of gas utilities | ||||||
15 | with residential and small commercial gas transportation | ||||||
16 | service programs, alternative gas suppliers, the Attorney | ||||||
17 | General, the Citizens Utility Board, and the Commission. | ||||||
18 | (a-15) At a minimum, the consumer education information | ||||||
19 | developed by the Commission shall include explanations or | ||||||
20 | descriptions of the following: | ||||||
21 | (1) The choices available to consumers to take gas | ||||||
22 | service from an alternative retail gas supplier or remain | ||||||
23 | as a retail customer of the gas utility. | ||||||
24 | (2) A consumer's rights and responsibilities in | ||||||
25 | receiving service from an alternative retail gas supplier | ||||||
26 | or remaining as a retail customer of the gas utility. |
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1 | (3) The gas utility's role in delivering gas, | ||||||
2 | including, but not limited to, utility response to calls | ||||||
3 | for service and gas leaks. | ||||||
4 | (4) The legal obligations of alternative retail gas | ||||||
5 | suppliers. | ||||||
6 | (5) The components of a bill that could be received by | ||||||
7 | a customer taking delivery services. | ||||||
8 | (6) The procedures available to customers to address | ||||||
9 | complaints against a gas utility or an alternative retail | ||||||
10 | gas supplier and a list of phone numbers and other contact | ||||||
11 | information for the Commission, the Attorney General, or | ||||||
12 | the Citizens Utility Board. | ||||||
13 | (7) Guidance to assist consumers in making educated | ||||||
14 | decisions when choosing their natural gas provider, | ||||||
15 | including: | ||||||
16 | (A) how to compare prices; | ||||||
17 | (B) questions to ask when considering natural gas | ||||||
18 | providers; and | ||||||
19 | (C) current and historical utility gas rates. | ||||||
20 | (8) The availability of the "Do Not Contact List" for | ||||||
21 | those who do not wish to be solicited by natural gas | ||||||
22 | providers. | ||||||
23 | (b) In any service area where customers are able to choose | ||||||
24 | their natural gas
supplier, the Commission shall require gas | ||||||
25 | utilities and alternative gas
suppliers to inform customers of | ||||||
26 | how they may contact the Commission in order
to
obtain |
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1 | information about the customer choice program.
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2 | (c) The Commission shall adopt a uniform disclosure that | ||||||
3 | alternative gas suppliers shall be required to complete for | ||||||
4 | each product offering. The uniform disclosure shall contain, at | ||||||
5 | a minimum: | ||||||
6 | (1) for products with a fixed price per therm, the | ||||||
7 | price per therm; | ||||||
8 | (2) the length of the initial term of the product, or, | ||||||
9 | if applicable, the expiration date of the initial term of | ||||||
10 | the product; | ||||||
11 | (3) the amount of the termination fees, if any; | ||||||
12 | (4) the amount of the administrative fees, other fees, | ||||||
13 | or recurring charges, if any, to be listed separately for | ||||||
14 | each and every fee or charge; | ||||||
15 | (5) for products with a variable price per therm, the | ||||||
16 | terms of such variability, including, but not limited to, | ||||||
17 | any index that is used to calculate the price and any | ||||||
18 | additional charges, costs and fees; and | ||||||
19 | (6) for products where a customer's charges are a fixed | ||||||
20 | amount per billing period regardless of the market price | ||||||
21 | for natural gas or the customer's natural gas consumption | ||||||
22 | during the billing period, the billing period covered. | ||||||
23 | If the alternative gas supplier will not offer a | ||||||
24 | different product for new customers as of the first of the | ||||||
25 | month, then the alternative gas supplier does not have to | ||||||
26 | provide new information until the first day of the month in |
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1 | which a different product or products are being offered. | ||||||
2 | The Commission shall post this information on its World | ||||||
3 | Wide Web site in a manner that shall enable customers to | ||||||
4 | compare prices, terms, and conditions offered by the | ||||||
5 | alternative gas suppliers. The website shall be updated at | ||||||
6 | least monthly and the Commission shall maintain this | ||||||
7 | information on its website for at least 12 months to allow | ||||||
8 | customers to compare the historical plans and prices for | ||||||
9 | all alternative gas suppliers. | ||||||
10 | (d) The Commission shall make available in print, upon | ||||||
11 | request and at no charge and on its World Wide Web site, | ||||||
12 | information on which customers of alternative gas suppliers | ||||||
13 | serving residential and small commercial customers may address | ||||||
14 | any complaint with regard to an alternative gas supplier's | ||||||
15 | obligations under Section 19-115 of this Article, including the | ||||||
16 | provision of service in accordance with the terms of its | ||||||
17 | contract, sales tactics, and rates. The Commission shall | ||||||
18 | maintain a summary by category and provider of all formal and | ||||||
19 | informal complaints it receives pursuant to this Section, and | ||||||
20 | it shall publish the summary on a quarterly basis on its World | ||||||
21 | Wide Web site. Individual customer information shall not be | ||||||
22 | included in the summary. | ||||||
23 | (e) The provisions of this Section shall apply only to | ||||||
24 | alternative gas suppliers serving or seeking to serve | ||||||
25 | residential and small commercial customers and only to the | ||||||
26 | extent such alternative gas suppliers provide services to |
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1 | residential and small commercial customers. | ||||||
2 | (Source: P.A. 95-1051, eff. 4-10-09.)
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