CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.





                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                        Bill No. SB 2454, 1st Eng.

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)

                            CHAMBER ACTION
              Senate                               House
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 5                                           ORIGINAL STAMP BELOW

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10                                                                

11  Representative(s) Miller offered the following:

12

13         Amendment (with title amendment) 

14  remove from the bill:  Everything after the enacting clause

15

16  and insert in lieu thereof:

17         Section 1.    Each residential electric utility

18  customer account of an "electric utility" as defined in s.

19  366.02(2), Florida Statutes, receiving active, residential

20  electric utility service on May 1, 1998, shall be provided

21  with a $25 credit on their electric utility service account in

22  August of 1998. The method for the award of this credit shall

23  be as follows:

24         a)  Each electric utility shall file with the Florida

25  Public Service Commission by June 1, 1998 certification of the

26  total number of residential electric utility accounts

27  receiving active service on May 1, 1998.

28         b)  Upon receipt of the  certification of the total

29  number of residential electric utility accounts from the

30  utilities, the Commission shall calculate the amount of funds

31  necessary for each electric utility to accomplish the

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    File original & 9 copies    05/01/98
    hmo0006                     07:35 am         02454-0059-551061




                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                        Bill No. SB 2454, 1st Eng.

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)





 1  provision of this section by multiplying the number of

 2  residential accounts active on May 1, 1998 by $25.

 3         c)  The Commission shall produce a list of the

 4  utilities detailing the calculated amount of funds necessary

 5  to provide the $25 credit and certify this list to the

 6  Comptroller of the State of Florida, the President of the

 7  Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by

 8  June 15, 1998. Upon any specific request of the Comptroller,

 9  the President of the Senate, or the Speaker of the House of

10  Representatives, the Public Service Commission shall have the

11  authority to audit the total number of residential electric

12  utility accounts as filed pursuant to subsection (b) of this

13  act.

14         d)  The Comptroller shall distribute funds to each

15  individual electric utility  based on the list submitted by

16  the Commission on or before July 1, 1998. The Comptroller

17  shall make appropriate adjustments as funds are available to

18  ensure an equal credit to each specified electric utility

19  customer as provided by this section.

20         e)  The Florida Public Service Commission shall direct

21  each electric utility to provide the credit on the electric

22  service  account of the eligible residential electric service

23  customers on  August 1, 1998  as provided by this section,

24  without exception. The Commission shall develop the

25  appropriate language describing the credit on the bill and

26  notifying customers of the credit application process making

27  every effort to neutralize costs to the utilities. Credits

28  shall be reflected on the bills rendered by the utility

29  starting on August 1, 1998 for the applicable customer

30  accounts as they are subsequently billed according to the

31  utility's standard billing cycles, said credits being applied

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    File original & 9 copies    05/01/98
    hmo0006                     07:35 am         02454-0059-551061




                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                        Bill No. SB 2454, 1st Eng.

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)





 1  to the bills up to the total amount owed each month for

 2  electric service. When bills for electric service do not have

 3  sufficient electric service amounts owed to utilize the entire

 4  amount of the credit, the remaining credit will be carried on

 5  the account for subsequent months billing until the total

 6  credit has been utilized or until October 31, 1998. Any

 7  customer receiving service on May 1, 1998 that is no longer

 8  receiving electric service from the electric utility on August

 9  1, 1998, shall have the credit reflected on their prior

10  account until such time as the utility determines that such

11  customer has not requested or renewed service service from the

12  utility between August 1, 1998 and October 31, 1998. All

13  undistributed credits which have not been distributed for

14  whatever reason, shall be accounted for by the utility and

15  returned to the Comptroller of the State of Florida before

16  December 1, 1998. All disputes related to the distribution or

17  the amount of the credit shall be resolved by the Florida

18  Public Service Commission.

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20  It is the intent of the Legislature that this one-time credit

21  not require any increase or decrease in current utility rates

22  as established at the effective date of this section. Prior to

23  the application of this credit, amounts owed by each customer

24  shall be calculated without regard to the existence of the

25  credit. As a result, the amounts due from each customer,

26  including but not limited to rates, state, and local taxes,

27  franchise fees, and any other applicable charges, shall not be

28  affected by the existence of this credit.

29         Section 2.  The sum of $184 million is appropriated

30  from the General Revenue Fund to the Public Service Commission

31  for fiscal year 1998-1999 for the purposes of implementing the

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    File original & 9 copies    05/01/98
    hmo0006                     07:35 am         02454-0059-551061




                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                        Bill No. SB 2454, 1st Eng.

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)





 1  provisions of this act. In the event these funds are

 2  insufficient to carry out the provisions of this act, the

 3  Administration Commission is authorized to transfer sufficient

 4  funds from the Working Capital Fund.

 5         Section 3.    This act shall take effect upon becoming

 6  law.

 7

 8

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

10  And the title is amended as follows:

11  remove from the title of the bill:  Everything before the

12  enacting clause

13

14  and insert in lieu thereof:

15         A bill to be entitled

16         An act relating to financial matters; providing credits

17  against electricity utility charges; establishing a procedure

18  for determining the credits; providing an appropriation;

19  providing an effective date.

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    File original & 9 copies    05/01/98
    hmo0006                     07:35 am         02454-0059-551061