Florida Senate - 2012 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for SB 1178
Barcode 938864
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
02/06/2012 .
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The Committee on Community Affairs (Bennett) recommended the
following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Between lines 68 and 69
4 insert:
5 Section 2. Study Committee on Investor-Owned Water and
6 Wastewater Utility Systems.—
7 (1) There is created a Study Committee on Investor-Owned
8 Water and Wastewater Utility Systems, which shall be composed of
9 17 members designated and appointed as follows:
10 (a) Two Senators appointed by the President of the Senate,
11 one of whom shall be appointed as chair by the President of the
12 Senate.
13 (b) Two Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the
14 House of Representatives.
15 (c) The Secretary of Environmental Protection or his or her
16 designee, who shall be a nonvoting member of the committee.
17 (d) The chair of the Public Service Commission or his or
18 her designee, who shall be a nonvoting member of the committee.
19 (e) A representative of a water management district
20 appointed by the Governor.
21 (f) A representative of a water or wastewater system owned
22 or operated by a municipal government appointed by the Governor.
23 (g) A representative of a water or wastewater system owned
24 or operated by a county government appointed by the Governor.
25 (h) The chair of a county commission that regulates
26 inventor-owned water or wastewater utility systems, who shall be
27 a nonvoting member of the committee.
28 (i) A representative of a county health department
29 appointed by the Governor, who shall be a nonvoting member of
30 the committee.
31 (j) A representative of the Florida Rural Water Association
32 appointed by the Governor.
33 (k) A representative of a small investor-owned water or
34 wastewater utility appointed by the Governor.
35 (l) A representative of a large investor-owned water or
36 wastewater utility appointed by the Governor.
37 (m) The Public Counsel or his or her designee.
38 (n) A customer of a Class C water or wastewater utility
39 appointed by the Governor.
40 (o) A representative of a government authority that was
41 created pursuant to chapter 367, Florida Statutes, appointed by
42 the Governor.
43 (2) The members shall serve until the work of the committee
44 is complete and the committee is terminated, except that if a
45 member no longer serves in the position required for
46 appointment, the member shall be replaced by the individual who
47 serves in such position.
48 (3) Members of the committee shall serve without
49 compensation, but are entitled to reimbursement for all
50 reasonable and necessary expenses, including travel expenses, in
51 the performance of their duties as provided in s. 112.061,
52 Florida Statutes.
53 (4) The appointing authority may remove or suspend a member
54 appointed by it for cause, including, but not limited to,
55 failure to attend two or more meetings of the committee.
56 (5) The Public Service Commission shall provide the staff,
57 information, assistance, and facilities as are deemed necessary
58 for the committee to carry out its duties under this section.
59 Funding for the committee shall be paid from the Florida Public
60 Service Regulatory Trust Fund.
61 (6) The committee shall identify issues of concern of
62 investor-owned water and wastewater utility systems,
63 particularly small systems, and their customers and research
64 possible solutions. In addition, the committee shall consider:
65 (a) The ability of a small investor-owned water and
66 wastewater utility to achieve economies of scale when purchasing
67 equipment, commodities, or services.
68 (b) The availability of low interest loans to a small,
69 privately owned water or wastewater utility.
70 (c) Any tax incentives or exemptions, temporary or
71 permanent, which are available to a small water or wastewater
72 utility.
73 (d) The impact on customer rates if a utility purchases an
74 existing water or wastewater utility system.
75 (e) The impact on customer rates of a utility providing
76 service through the use of a reseller.
77 (f) Other issues that the committee identifies during its
78 investigation.
79 (7) The committee shall meet at the time and location as
80 the chair determines, except that the committee shall meet a
81 minimum of four times. At least two meetings must be held in an
82 area that is centrally located to utility customers who have
83 recently been affected by a significant increase in water or
84 wastewater utility rates. The public shall be given the
85 opportunity to speak at the meeting.
86 (8) By December 31, 2012, the committee shall prepare and
87 submit to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
88 Speaker of the House of Representatives a report detailing its
89 findings pursuant to subsection (6) and making specific
90 legislative recommendations.
91 (9) This section expires and the committee terminates June
92 30, 2013.
93
94
95
96 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
97 And the title is amended as follows:
98 Delete lines 2 - 3
99 and insert:
100 An act relating to water supply; amending s. 373.236;
101 specifying
102 Delete line 17
103 and insert:
104 utility; creating the Study Committee on Investor
105 Owned Water and Wastewater Utility Systems; providing
106 for membership and terms of service; prohibiting
107 compensation of the members; providing for
108 reimbursement of the members for certain expenses;
109 providing for removal or suspension of members by the
110 appointing authority; requiring the Public Service
111 Commission to provide staff, information, assistance,
112 and facilities that are deemed necessary for the
113 committee to perform its duties; providing for funding
114 from the Florida Public Service Regulatory Trust Fund;
115 providing duties for the committee; providing for
116 public meetings; requiring the committee to report to
117 the Governor and Legislature its findings and make
118 recommendation for legislative changes; providing for
119 future termination of the committee; providing an
120 effective date.