Senate Bill 0164

    Florida Senate - 1999                                   SB 164

    By Senators Cowin, Brown-Waite, Mitchell, Webster, Bankhead
    and Horne




    11-380-99

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to a refund of excess utility

  3         payments; requiring the Comptroller to provide

  4         a refund to certain utility customers who paid

  5         more under a uniform rate structure than those

  6         customers would have paid under a modified

  7         stand-alone rate structure; requiring the

  8         Public Service Commission to notify utility

  9         customers who are eligible for a refund;

10         providing requirements for applying for a

11         refund; requiring the Comptroller to verify

12         eligibility for a refund; providing for the

13         refund of utility payments to be funded from

14         the Public Service Commission Regulatory Trust

15         Fund; providing an appropriation; providing an

16         effective date.

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18  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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20         Section 1.  (1)  The Comptroller shall provide a refund

21  to utility customers in this state who paid more for water and

22  sewer services between September 15, 1993, and January 23,

23  l996, under the uniform rate structure imposed pursuant to

24  Order No. PSC-93-0423-FOF-WS of the Public Service Commission,

25  than the amount such customers would have paid under the

26  modified stand-alone rate structure approved on remand in

27  Docket No. 920199-WS of the Public Service Commission. The

28  refund amount for each eligible utility customer shall equal

29  the amount paid in excess of the modified stand-alone rate,

30  plus interest.

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






    Florida Senate - 1999                                   SB 164
    11-380-99




  1         (2)  The Public Service Commission shall notify by mail

  2  each utility customer who is eligible for a refund under this

  3  section and who resides in the state. The notice must include

  4  instructions for filing an application for the refund. An

  5  eligible utility customer must file a refund application with

  6  the Comptroller by July 1, 2000, or shall forfeit eligibility

  7  for the refund. The Comptroller shall verify an applicant's

  8  eligibility and shall mail the refund in a timely manner if

  9  the applicant is found eligible. An amount of less than $10

10  shall not be refunded.

11         (3)  The amount necessary to fund the refund of utility

12  payments provided under this section is appropriated from the

13  Public Service Commission Regulatory Trust Fund.

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

15  law.

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17            *****************************************

18                          SENATE SUMMARY

19    Provides for utility customers who paid more for water
      and sewer services under a uniform rate structure between
20    September 15, 1993, and January 23, 1996, than the amount
      the customers would have paid under a modified
21    stand-alone rate structure to be eligible for a refund of
      the excess amount. Provides for the Comptroller to issue
22    the refund. Requires that an eligible utility customer
      apply for the refund before July 1, 2000, or forfeit
23    eligibility. Appropriates moneys from the Public Service
      Commission Regulatory Trust Fund to pay the refunds.
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