HF 2729

House
File
2729
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
2729
BY
B.
MEYER
,
WILSON
,
KRESSIG
,
BAETH
,
CROKEN
,
R.
JOHNSON
,
RAMIREZ
,
WICHTENDAHL
,
BROWN-POWERS
,
MATSON
,
KONFRST
,
WILBURN
,
LEVIN
,
WESSEL-KROESCHELL
,
OLSON
,
and
EHLERT
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
establishing
a
temporary
prohibition
on
an
increase
in
1
rates
or
charges
by
gas
and
electric
public
utilities,
and
2
including
effective
date
provisions.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
TLSB
5060YH
(9)
91
sb/js
H.F.
2729
Section
1.
Section
476.1A,
subsection
1,
Code
2026,
is
1
amended
by
adding
the
following
new
paragraph:
2
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
f.
Rate
and
charge
adjustment
prohibitions
3
before
December
31,
2030,
as
set
forth
in
section
476.6,
4
subsections
1A,
8,
and
9.
5
Sec.
2.
Section
476.1B,
subsection
1,
Code
2026,
is
amended
6
by
adding
the
following
new
paragraph:
7
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
g.
Rate
and
charge
adjustment
prohibitions
8
before
December
31,
2030,
as
set
forth
in
section
476.6,
9
subsections
1A,
8,
and
9.
10
Sec.
3.
Section
476.1C,
subsection
1,
paragraph
a,
Code
11
2026,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
12
a.
Are
not
subject
to
the
regulation
authority
of
the
13
utilities
commission
under
this
chapter
unless
otherwise
14
specifically
provided.
Sections
Section
476.6,
subsections
1A,
15
8,
and
9,
and
sections
476.10
,
476.20
,
476.21
,
and
476.51
apply
16
to
such
gas
utilities.
17
Sec.
4.
Section
476.6,
Code
2026,
is
amended
by
adding
the
18
following
new
subsection:
19
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
1A.
Moratorium.
A
public
utility
shall
20
not
make
effective
a
new
or
changed
rate,
charge,
schedule,
21
or
regulation
that
will
result
in
an
increase
of
any
rate
or
22
charge
for
gas
or
electric
service
on
a
customer’s
bill
on
or
23
before
December
31,
2030.
24
Sec.
5.
Section
476.6,
subsection
8,
Code
2026,
is
amended
25
to
read
as
follows:
26
8.
Automatic
adjustments.
27
a.
This
chapter
does
not
prohibit
a
public
utility
from
28
making
provision
for
the
automatic
adjustment
of
rates
and
29
charges
for
public
utility
service
,
except
as
provided
in
30
paragraph
“c”
,
provided
that
a
schedule
showing
the
automatic
31
adjustment
of
rates
and
charges
is
first
filed
with
and
32
approved
by
the
commission.
33
b.
A
public
utility
may
automatically
adjust
rates
and
34
charges
to
recover
costs
related
to
transmission
incurred
by
35
-1-
LSB
5060YH
(9)
91
sb/js
1/
4
H.F.
2729
or
charged
to
the
public
utility
consistent
with
a
tariff
or
1
agreement
that
is
subject
to
the
jurisdiction
of
the
federal
2
energy
regulatory
commission,
except
as
provided
in
paragraph
3
“c”
,
provided
that
a
schedule
showing
the
automatic
adjustment
4
of
rates
and
charges
is
first
filed
with
and
approved
by
the
5
commission.
The
commission
shall
adopt
rules
regarding
the
6
reporting
of
transmission
expenses
and
transmission-related
7
activity
pursuant
to
this
paragraph.
8
c.
A
public
utility
shall
not
automatically
adjust
rates
or
9
charges,
pursuant
to
any
schedule,
tariff,
or
agreement,
that
10
will
result
in
an
increase
of
any
rate
or
charge
for
gas
or
11
electric
service
on
a
customer’s
bill
on
or
before
December
31,
12
2030.
13
Sec.
6.
Section
476.6,
subsection
9,
paragraph
a,
Code
2026,
14
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
15
a.
A
public
utility
may
choose
to
place
in
effect
temporary
16
rates,
charges,
schedules,
or
regulations
without
commission
17
review
on
or
after
ten
days
following
the
filing
date
under
18
this
section
,
except
as
provided
in
paragraph
“d”
.
If
the
19
utility
chooses
to
place
such
rates,
charges,
schedules,
20
or
regulations
in
effect,
the
utility
shall
file
with
the
21
commission
a
bond
or
other
corporate
undertaking
approved
22
by
the
commission
conditioned
upon
the
refund
in
a
manner
23
prescribed
by
the
commission
of
amounts
collected
in
excess
24
of
the
amounts
which
that
would
have
been
collected
under
25
rates,
charges,
schedules,
or
regulations
finally
approved
26
by
the
commission.
At
the
conclusion
of
the
proceeding
if
27
the
commission
determines
that
the
temporary
rates,
charges,
28
schedules,
or
regulations
placed
in
effect
under
this
paragraph
29
were
not
based
on
previously
established
regulatory
principles,
30
the
commission
shall
consider
ordering
refunds
based
upon
the
31
overpayments
made
by
each
individual
customer
class,
rate
zone,
32
or
customer
group.
If
the
commission
has
not
rendered
a
final
33
decision
with
respect
to
suspended
rates,
charges,
schedules,
34
or
regulations
upon
the
expiration
of
ten
months
after
the
35
-2-
LSB
5060YH
(9)
91
sb/js
2/
4
H.F.
2729
filing
date,
plus
the
length
of
any
delay
that
necessarily
1
results
either
from
the
failure
of
the
public
utility
to
2
exercise
due
diligence
in
connection
with
the
proceedings
or
3
from
intervening
judicial
proceedings,
plus
the
length
of
any
4
extension
permitted
by
section
476.33,
subsection
3
,
then
such
5
temporary
rates,
charges,
schedules,
or
regulations
placed
into
6
effect
on
a
temporary
basis
shall
be
deemed
finally
approved
by
7
the
commission
and
the
utility
may
place
them
into
effect
on
8
a
permanent
basis.
9
Sec.
7.
Section
476.6,
subsection
9,
Code
2026,
is
amended
10
by
adding
the
following
new
paragraph:
11
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
d.
A
public
utility
shall
not
place
in
12
effect
temporary
rates,
charges,
schedules,
or
regulations
that
13
will
result
in
an
increase
of
any
rate
or
charge
for
gas
or
14
electric
service
on
a
customer’s
bill
on
or
before
December
31,
15
2030.
16
Sec.
8.
EFFECTIVE
DATE.
This
Act,
being
deemed
of
immediate
17
importance,
takes
effect
upon
enactment.
18
EXPLANATION
19
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
20
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
21
This
bill
establishes
a
temporary
prohibition
on
an
increase
22
in
rates
or
charges
by
gas
and
electric
public
utilities.
23
The
bill
prohibits
a
public
utility
from
making
effective
a
24
new
or
changed
rate,
charge,
schedule,
or
regulation
that
will
25
result
in
an
increase
of
any
rate
or
charge
for
gas
or
electric
26
service
on
a
customer’s
bill
on
or
before
December
31,
2030.
27
This
rate
freeze
applies
to
all
public
utilities
providing
28
gas
or
electric
service
and
all
rate,
charge,
schedule,
29
and
regulation
changes,
including
automatic
adjustments
and
30
temporary
adjustments.
31
The
bill
authorizes
the
Iowa
utilities
commission
to
32
regulate
this
rate
freeze
for
smaller
gas
or
electric
public
33
utilities,
electric
cooperative
corporations
and
associations,
34
and
municipally
owned
utilities.
35
-3-
LSB
5060YH
(9)
91
sb/js
3/
4
H.F.
2729
The
bill
takes
effect
upon
enactment.
1
-4-
LSB
5060YH
(9)
91
sb/js
4/
4