H. B. 4722


(By Delegates Kominar, Stalnaker, Amores, Michael, Palumbo, Varner and Trump)


[Introduced February 22, 2006; referred to the committee on the Judiciary. ]




A BILL to amend and reenact the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new article, designated §24-2F-1, relating to rates and charges assessed by electric and natural gas utilities; providing for the assessment of rate surcharges by electric and natural gas utilities to allow the utilities to recoup expenses associated with uncollectible accounts; and requiring the public service commission to promulgate related rules.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the code of Wet Virginia, 1921, as amended be amended by adding thereto a new article, designated §24-2F-1 to read as follows:
CHAPTER 24. PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION.

§24-2F-1. Rules for surcharge to cover cost of uncollectible accounts in the same customer classification.
No later than the first day of October, two thousand six, the commission shall promulgate rules to allow electric and gas utilities, after undertaking reasonable collection efforts, to collect the cost of ordinary uncollectible accounts as a surcharge over the rates charge other customers in the same customer classification under which the defaulting customer received service, and to adjust such surcharges no less frequently than annually.

 NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require the Public Service Commission of West Virginia to promulgate rules which would provide for the assessment of surcharges to cover an electric or gas utilities expenses associated with uncollectible accounts.

This article is new. Therefore, underscoring and strike- throughs have been omitted.