Bill Text: MO HB119 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Changes the laws regarding rates charged by natural gas corporations and assistance for eligible households through the Utilicare Program
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-01 - HCS Voted Do Pass (H) [HB119 Detail]
Download: Missouri-2011-HB119-Introduced.html
FIRST REGULAR SESSION
96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES SCHOELLER (Sponsor) AND POLLOCK (Co-sponsor).
0231L.01I D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To repeal sections 393.275 and 660.122, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof two new sections relating to utilities.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Sections 393.275 and 660.122, RSMo, are repealed and two new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 393.275 and 660.122, to read as follows:
393.275. 1. The commission shall notify the governing body of each city or county imposing a business license tax pursuant to section 66.300, 92.045, 94.110, 94.270 or 94.360, RSMo, or a similar tax adopted pursuant to charter provisions in any constitutional charter city with a population of at least three hundred fifty thousand inhabitants which is located in more than one county, on gross receipts of any gas corporation, electric corporation, water corporation or sewer corporation of any tariff increases authorized for such firm doing business in that city or county if the approved increase exceeds seven percent. The commission shall include with such notice to any city or county the percentage increase approved for the utility, together with an estimate of the annual increase in gross receipts resulting from the tariff increase on customers residing in that city or county. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to rate adjustments in the purchase price of natural gas which are approved by the commission.
2. The governing body of each city or county notified of a tariff increase as provided in subsection 1 of this section shall reduce the tax rate of its business license tax on the gross receipts of utility corporations. Within sixty days of the effective date of the tariff increase, the tax rate shall be reduced to the extent necessary so that revenue for the ensuing twelve months will be approximately equal to the revenue received during the preceding twelve months plus a growth factor. The growth factor shall be equal to the average of the additional revenue received in each of the preceding three years. However, a city or county may maintain the tax rate of its business license tax on the gross receipts of utility corporations without reduction if an ordinance to maintain the tax rate is enacted by the governing body of the city or an order to maintain the tax rate is issued by the governing body of the county after September 28, 1985. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to rate adjustments in the purchase price of natural gas which are approved by the commission and such purchased gas adjustment rates shall include the gas cost portion of net write-offs incurred by the gas corporation in providing service to system sales customers upon the filing and approval of new rate schedules applicable to such customers. Such rate schedules shall be designed to simultaneously decrease the gas corporation's base rates and increase its purchased gas adjustment rates by like amounts so as to reasonably ensure that the gas cost portion of the net write-offs applicable to such customers, as such portion is determined by the commission, is only being recovered once through the gas corporation's purchased gas adjustment rates. Increases and decreases in the gas cost portion of net write-offs shall thereafter be reflected in the gas corporation's purchased gas adjustment rates under tariff provisions approved by the commission provided, however, that such tariff provisions shall:
(1) Limit increases or decreases in the gas cost portion of net write-offs as reflected in purchased gas adjustment rates to once each year;
(2) Require a true-up of the gas cost portion of net write-offs as reflected in purchased gas adjustment rates once each year; and
(3) Require commission review of the gas cost portion of net write-offs as reflected in purchased gas adjustment rates once each year to insure that the gas corporation is prudently pursuing collection of amounts owed by its customers.
660.122. Funds appropriated under the authority of sections 660.100 to 660.136 may be used to pay the expenses of reconnecting or maintaining service to eligible households [that have had their primary or secondary heating or cooling source disconnected or service discontinued because of their failure to pay their bill]. Eligible households which have paid or attempted to pay their utility bills shall not be precluded from receiving such assistance. Any qualified household or other household which has as its head a person who is elderly or disabled, as defined in section 660.100, shall be eligible for assistance under this section if the income for the household is no more than one hundred fifty percent of the current federal poverty level or sixty percent of the state median income and if moneys have been appropriated by the general assembly to the utilicare stabilization fund established pursuant to section 660.136. Payments under this section shall be made directly to the primary or secondary heating or cooling source supplier. Any primary or secondary heating or cooling source supplier subject to the supervision and regulation of the public service commission shall, at any time during the period of the cold weather rule specified in the cold weather rule as established and as amended by the public service commission, reconnect and provide services to each household eligible for assistance under this section in compliance with the terms of such cold weather rule, provided that such suppliers shall permit customers who have not yet been disconnected and who incurred an arrearage during the cold weather rule period to retain service by paying during each of the three months following the cold weather rule period an amount equal to one-third of the customer's arrearage, plus the customer's current bill. All home energy suppliers receiving funds under this section shall provide service to eligible households consistent with their contractual agreements with the department of social services and sections 660.100 to 660.136.
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