SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. SB 1034

    Amendment No.    

                            CHAMBER ACTION
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11  Senators Brown-Waite and Horne moved the following amendment:

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13         Senate Amendment (with title amendment) 

14         Delete everything after the enacting clause

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16  and insert:

17         Section 1.  (1)  In recognition of the fact that a

18  portion of the state's population is served by investor-owned

19  water and wastewater utilities, the Legislature finds that the

20  need to encourage economic and prudent water resource planning

21  by such utilities in a manner that is consistent with the

22  state's environmental laws and in the long-term best interest

23  of consumers should be subjected to a fact finding and review

24  process. Therefore, the investor-owned water and wastewater

25  utility study panel is established to analyze and determine

26  the facts pertaining to:

27         (a)  The regulatory treatment of investor-owned water

28  and wastewater utilities in the provision of utility

29  infrastructure, including margin reserve.

30         (b)  The cost and consistency of environmental law and

31  policy with regulatory treatment of these utilities.

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                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. SB 1034

    Amendment No.    





 1         (c)  The estimated potential rate impact of any

 2  recommended changes.

 3         (2)  The study panel shall be composed of 13 members as

 4  follows:  one member of the Senate and one member of the House

 5  of Representatives, appointed by each respective house; one

 6  member of the Public Service Commission to be appointed by the

 7  Chair of the Public Service Commission; the Public Counsel or

 8  his or her designee; two representatives of the investor-owned

 9  water and wastewater utilities to be appointed by the Florida

10  Waterworks Association; one representative of the American

11  Association of Retired Persons to be appointed by the

12  Governor; one representative from an investor-owned water and

13  wastewater utility staff to be appointed by the Florida

14  Waterworks Association; one representative from a Water

15  Management District to be appointed by the Governor; one

16  assistant Attorney General from The Special Projects Office

17  who is familiar with water and wastewater issues to be

18  appointed by the Attorney General; one representative from the

19  Department of Environmental Protection to be appointed by the

20  Secretary of that agency; one representative from a county

21  that has assumed responsibility for regulating water and

22  wastewater utilities under section 367.081, Florida Statutes,

23  to be appointed by the President of the Senate; and one

24  representative from a governmentally owned water and

25  wastewater utility to be appointed by the Speaker of the House

26  of Representatives.

27         (3)  The study panel shall hold at least three public

28  hearings, two of which shall be outside Tallahassee, and shall

29  seek public comment and input. The members of the study panel

30  are entitled to reimbursement for travel and per diem expenses

31  incurred in the performance of their duties, as provided under

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                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. SB 1034

    Amendment No.    





 1  section 112.061, Florida Statutes. The panel shall obtain

 2  staff assistance from the Policy and Industry Structure Bureau

 3  of the Public Service Commission. All costs of the panel,

 4  including expense reimbursement, shall be paid from the budget

 5  of the Public Service Commission.

 6         (4)  The study panel shall report to the Governor, the

 7  President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of

 8  Representatives on its findings and any recommendations for

 9  proposed legislation no later than December 31, 1998.

10         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

11  law.

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14  ================ T I T L E   A M E N D M E N T ===============

15  And the title is amended as follows:

16         Delete everything before the enacting clause

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18  and insert:

19                  A bill to be entitled

20         An act relating to the Public Service

21         Commission; providing for a study commission to

22         review the need for rate adjustment

23         legislation, to analyze the infrastructure and

24         future growth needs of water and wastewater

25         utilities, to review the economic impact to

26         consumers of possible policy changes, and to

27         recommend legislation; providing an effective

28         date.

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