Senate Bill No. 110

(By Senator Bailey)

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[Introduced January 26, 1994; referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary.]

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A BILL to amend and reenact section one, article three, chapter twenty-four of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to electric utilities; and requiring that electric utilities apply the lowest rate for service to rural community buildings, including the rate charged residential customers for service if it is the lowest rate.

 Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section one, article three, chapter twenty-four of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 3. DUTIES AND PRIVILEGES OF PUBLIC UTILITIES SUBJECT TO REGULATIONS OF COMMISSION.

§24-3-1. Adequate facilities; safety appliances; reasonable rates; railroad switch connections; discontinuing service.

Every public utility subject to this chapter shall establish and maintain adequate and suitable facilities, safety appliancesor other suitable devices, and shall perform such service in respect thereto as shall be reasonable, safe and sufficient for the security and convenience of the public, and the safety and comfort of its employees, and in all respects just and fair, and without any unjust discrimination or preference. All charges, tolls and rates shall be just and reasonable, and no change shall be made in any tariffs, rates, joint rates, tolls, schedules or classifications except as herein provided. Every public utility providing electric service to rural areas of this state shall apply the lowest rate charged for service to rural community buildings, including the rate charged to residential customers if it is the lowest rate. Every railroad shall permit switch connections for intrastate business to be made with its tracks at suitable and safe points by other carriers or shippers, upon such terms and conditions as the commission may prescribe, whenever, in the judgment of the commission, the business to be offered by the connecting company of shipper justifies it. Every railroad and other transportation company may be required by the commission to establish and maintain such suitable public service facilities and conveniences as may be reasonable and just, to make reasonable connections with trains on branch lines of such railroads and with all connecting railroad lines; to require any passenger trains to stop at junctions or intersections with other railroads; and may prescribe the number of men required to constitute safe crews for the handling of trains on any railroad in this state or any division of any such railroad. No railroador other public utility shall discontinue any regular passenger train, or other public service facility, or change any regular passenger train schedule or timetable, without first obtaining authority from the commission so to do, unless the same be done under uniform rules and regulations filed by such railroad or public utility with the public service commission and approved by said commission.



NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require that electric utilities apply the lowest rate for service to rural community buildings, including the rate charged residential customers for service if it is the lowest rate.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.