2012 -- H 7440

=======

LC00245

=======

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2012

____________

A N A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

     Introduced By: Representatives Reilly, Nunes, Morgan, and McLaughlin

     Date Introduced: February 09, 2012

     Referred To: House Corporations

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

1-1

     SECTION 1. Section 39-1-18 of the General Laws in Chapter 39-1 entitled "Public

1-2

Utilities Commission" is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-3

     39-1-18. Hearings and records -- Certified copies. -- (a) All hearings and orders of the

1-4

commission and of the division, and the records thereof, shall be public and any person shall be

1-5

permitted to record all or any portion of a hearing by way of camera, video or tape recorder of

1-6

any kind, unless a party to the hearing requests, and the chairperson or administrator grants the

1-7

request, that the recording be prohibited for the protection of attorney-client privilege,

1-8

confidentiality or other interest of the parties. All reports, records, files, books, and accounts in

1-9

the possession of the commission or the division shall be open to inspection by the public at all

1-10

reasonable times. The division may charge and collect reasonable fees for copies of official

1-11

documents, orders, papers, and records, and for authenticating or certifying the same; provided

1-12

that no fee shall be charged for single copies of official documents, orders, papers, and records,

1-13

furnished to public officers of the state for use in their official capacity, or for the annual reports

1-14

in the ordinary course of distribution.

1-15

      (b) All filings made to the division or commission shall also be provided digitally in a

1-16

manner established by the division. The commission and division may adopt rules exempting

1-17

filings from this requirement.

1-18

      (c) In order to support the ability of the public and interested parties to stay informed of

1-19

the activities of the commission and the division, and to promote awareness of utility

1-20

restructuring, the division shall maintain a site on the internet through which the public may

2-1

access:

2-2

      (1) Notices of and agendas of hearings;

2-3

      (2) All filings that are available in digital format and that are not subject to protective

2-4

orders;

2-5

      (3) All orders, rules and regulations of the commission or administrator;

2-6

      (4) Announcements of, agendas for, and minutes of open meetings;

2-7

      (5) A calendar of all forthcoming open meetings and hearings;

2-8

      (6) Current tariffs of all public utilities who are subject to assessment pursuant to section

2-9

39-1-23; provided, however, that the division may require any public utility with extensive tariffs

2-10

to maintain a website and provide access to those tariffs via a link from the division's website;

2-11

      (7) A listing of all public utilities and nonregulated power producers, together with

2-12

consumer contact information for each;

2-13

      (8) Consumer information on billing dispute resolution, retail access, conservation, and

2-14

consumer assistance programs;

2-15

      (9) Demand side management programs available to residential, commercial and

2-16

industrial customers;

2-17

      (10) Other information as the division deems relevant and useful to the public.

2-18

     (11) Notwithstanding any provision of the general or public law to the contrary in lieu of

2-19

publishing its hearings notices in a newspaper(s) of general and/or local circulation, the division

2-20

may alternatively choose to provide its hearing notices exclusively through electronic media on

2-21

its website.

2-22

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

=======

LC00245

========

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

***

3-1

     This act would authorize the division of public utilities and carriers to choose to provide

3-2

public notice of its hearings exclusively through the use of its website.

3-3

     This act would take effect upon passage.

=======

LC00245

=======