PRINTER'S NO. 507
No. 440 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY WILLIAMS, FEBRUARY 15, 2001
REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE,
FEBRUARY 15, 2001
AN ACT
1 Providing for emergency relief from overly excessive charges for
2 natural gas to certain customers; making an appropriation;
3 and making a repeal.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Emergency relief.
7 (a) Grants.--A one-time payment shall be made to the natural
8 gas utility of each eligible person as provided for in
9 subsection (b). The amount of the payment which shall be in the
10 form of a credit on the utility bill shall be determined by the
11 Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission as provided for in
12 subsection (c).
13 (b) Eligibility.--
14 (1) As of December 1, 2000, each customer of a natural
15 gas utility who is a resident of a city of the first class is
16 eligible for an emergency credit under this act.
17 (2) In addition to the persons referred to in paragraph
18 (1) any resident of any county who is a customer of a
1 provider of natural gas and his natural gas bill excess for
2 the months of December 2000 through March 2001 equals or is
3 greater than that as specified in subsection (c) is also
4 eligible for the emergency credit.
5 (c) Calculation.--The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
6 shall calculate the average cost of natural gas utility service
7 for the months of December 2000 and March 2001 for a city of the
8 first class and the four counties adjacent to a city of the
9 first class. The amount of the emergency relief shall be the
10 difference in the average natural gas monthly bills between the
11 customers in the city of the first class and the customers in
12 the four-county area adjacent to a city of the first class. The
13 Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission shall pay the appropriate
14 natural gas utility the emergency relief on behalf of each
15 eligible person and the utility shall credit the account of the
16 eligible person.
17 (d) Appropriation.--A sum equal to the amount necessary to
18 pay for all emergency credits authorized by this act is hereby
19 appropriated from the unclaimed utility deposits in the Treasury
20 Department, as referred to in section 1305.1 of the act of April
21 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), known as The Fiscal Code, to the
22 Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to carry out the purposes
23 of this act.
24 Section 2. Repeal.
25 Chapter XIII.1 of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176),
26 known as The Fiscal Code, is repealed in so far as it is
27 inconsistent with this act.
28 Section 3. Effective date.
29 This act shall take effect in 30 days.
B8L84JLW/20010S0440B0507 - 2 -