The bill amends Section 39-1-26 of the General Laws concerning the Public Utilities Commission by creating a public utilities reserve fund to support the commission and division in their operational expenses. The fund will be financed through annual appropriations equal to 0.00025% of the gross annual operating revenues of gas, electric, and telephone companies from intrastate operations. Additionally, if the fund's balance exceeds $100,000 at the end of the fiscal year, the excess will be transferred to the general fund.

The bill also establishes that public utilities will be responsible for covering a portion of the commission's expenses related to investigations and hearings, with a new cap on these charges increased from $750,000 to $1,000,000, and the cap for representation before federal agencies raised from $250,000 to $500,000.

Furthermore, the bill includes provisions for the collection of expenses from utility companies and mandates the division of public utilities and carriers to adopt a fee schedule for telecommunications filings, which will be directed to the general fund rather than the public utilities reserve fund. The General Assembly will continue to appropriate necessary funds for the salaries and operational expenses of the commission and division. This act is set to take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
599: 39-1-26