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LEGISLATURE OF NEBRASKA
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH LEGISLATURE
FIRST SESSION
LEGISLATIVE BILL 726
Introduced by Dungan, 26.
Read first time January 18, 2023
Committee: Natural Resources
1 A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to public power; to adopt the Nebraska
2 Electric Consumer Right to Transparency and Local Control Act.
3 Be it enacted by the people of the State of Nebraska,
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1 Section 1. Sections 1 to 4 of this act shall be known and may be
2 cited as the Nebraska Electric Consumer Right to Transparency and Local
3 Control Act.
4 Sec. 2. For purposes of the Nebraska Electric Consumer Right to
5 Transparency and Local Control Act:
6 (1) Board means the governing body of an electric utility;
7 (2) Electric utility means any entity organized under Chapter 70 or
8 a municipal electric system;
9 (3) Ratepayer means any person, firm, corporation, company,
10 cooperative, membership organization, municipality, political
11 subdivision, electric supplier, partnership, or other organization of any
12 kind that pays money for electrical energy, demand, or capacity received
13 for residential, commercial, industrial, farm, or resale purposes; and
14 (4) Ratepayer proceeds means any money, funds, compensation,
15 property, or other thing of value received from a ratepayer.
16 Sec. 3. Customers have a right to know information that pertains to
17 the governance and finances of their electric utility. Each electric
18 utility shall establish a website and make the following information
19 publicly available on such website:
20 (1) Board meeting dates, times, and locations, which shall be
21 published at least ten days before the date of the meeting;
22 (2) Board meeting agendas, which shall be published at least ten
23 days before the date of the meeting;
24 (3) Board meeting minutes, which shall be published no later than
25 ten days after the date of the meeting;
26 (4) Current rate schedules and fees, rents, and other charges made
27 or levied by the board;
28 (5) A full and complete statement showing the receipts and
29 disbursements of the electric utility;
30 (6) Fiscal year budget;
31 (7) Service territory (if applicable);
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1 (8) A list of all board members currently serving;
2 (9) Board member district and subdistrict boundaries (if
3 applicable), published as a map and in writing as described in the
4 electric utility's charter;
5 (10) A method by which to contact board members; and
6 (11) A method by which to contact the electric utility's staff.
7 Sec. 4. Nebraska's electric utilities have a captive customer base
8 due to their status as publicly provided, regulated monopolies.
9 Ratepayers shall not be obligated to fund electoral activity. Ratepayer
10 proceeds shall not be spent on elections, except as provided for in
11 sections 70-610 and 70-612.
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