Florida Senate - 2012                          SENATOR AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for HB 1389
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Barcode 189078                          
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
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                Floor: 1/AD/2R         .                                
             03/09/2012 11:20 PM       .                                
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       Senator Altman moved the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Between lines 29 and 30
    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  18 residents of the state designated and appointed as follows:
   10         (a) The chair of the Public Service Commission or a
   11  commissioner designated by the chair, who shall serve as chair
   12  of the committee and shall be a nonvoting member of the
   13  committee.
   14         (b) The Secretary of Environmental Protection or his or her
   15  designee, who shall be a nonvoting member of the committee.
   16         (c) The Public Counsel or his or her designee, who shall be
   17  a nonvoting member of the committee.
   18         (d) One member of the Senate appointed by the President of
   19  the Senate.
   20         (e) One member of the House of Representatives appointed by
   21  the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
   22         (f) Two representatives of Class A investor-owned water or
   23  wastewater utilities appointed by the Governor.
   24         (g) One representative of a Class B investor-owned water or
   25  wastewater utility appointed by the Governor.
   26         (h) One representative of a Class C investor-owned water or
   27  wastewater utility appointed by the Governor.
   28         (i) One customer of a Class A investor-owned water or
   29  wastewater utility appointed by the Governor.
   30         (j) One customer of a Class B or Class C investor-owned
   31  water or wastewater utility appointed by the Governor.
   32         (k) One representative of a water management district
   33  appointed by the Governor.
   34         (l) One representative of the Florida Section of the
   35  American Water Works Association appointed by the Governor.
   36         (m) One representative of the Florida Rural Water
   37  Association appointed by the Governor.
   38         (n) One representative of a water or wastewater system
   39  owned or operated by a municipal or county government appointed
   40  by the Governor.
   41         (o) One representative of a governmental authority that is
   42  created pursuant to chapter 163, Florida Statutes, appointed by
   43  the Governor.
   44         (p) The chair of a county commission that regulates
   45  investor-owned water or wastewater utility systems appointed by
   46  the Governor.
   47         (q) One representative of a county health department
   48  appointed by the Governor.
   49         (2) The members shall serve until the work of the committee
   50  is complete and the committee is terminated, except that if a
   51  member no longer serves in the position required for
   52  appointment, the member shall be replaced by the individual who
   53  serves in such position.
   54         (3) Members of the committee shall serve without
   55  compensation, but are entitled to reimbursement for all
   56  reasonable and necessary expenses, including travel expenses, in
   57  the performance of their duties as provided in s. 112.061,
   58  Florida Statutes.
   59         (4) An appointing authority may remove or suspend a member
   60  appointed by it for cause, including, but not limited to,
   61  failure to attend two or more meetings of the committee.
   62         (5) The Public Service Commission shall provide the staff,
   63  information, assistance, and facilities as are deemed necessary
   64  for the committee to carry out its duties under this section.
   65  Funding for the committee shall be paid from the Florida Public
   66  Service Regulatory Trust Fund.
   67         (6) The committee shall identify issues of concern of
   68  investor-owned water and wastewater utility systems,
   69  particularly small systems, and their customers and research
   70  possible solutions. In addition, the committee shall consider:
   71         (a) The ability of a small investor-owned water or
   72  wastewater utility to achieve economies of scale when purchasing
   73  equipment, commodities, or services.
   74         (b) The availability of low interest loans to a small,
   75  privately owned water or wastewater utility.
   76         (c) Any tax incentives or exemptions, temporary or
   77  permanent, which are available to a small water or wastewater
   78  utility.
   79         (d) The impact on customer rates if a utility purchases an
   80  existing water or wastewater utility system.
   81         (e) The impact on customer rates of a utility providing
   82  service through the use of a reseller.
   83         (f) Other issues that the committee identifies during its
   84  investigation.
   85         (7) The committee shall meet at the time and location as
   86  the chair determines, except that the committee shall meet a
   87  minimum of four times. At least two meetings must be held in an
   88  area that is centrally located to utility customers who have
   89  recently been affected by a significant increase in water or
   90  wastewater utility rates. The public shall be given the
   91  opportunity to speak at the meetings.
   92         (8) By February 15, 2013, the committee shall prepare and
   93  submit to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
   94  Speaker of the House of Representatives a report detailing its
   95  findings pursuant to subsection (6) and making specific
   96  legislative recommendations, including proposed legislation
   97  intended to implement its recommendations. If the committee, in
   98  its report, finds that an issue may effectively be addressed
   99  through agency rulemaking, the committee shall submit to the
  100  appropriate agencies its report and recommendations, including
  101  proposed rules.
  102         (9) This section expires and the committee terminates June
  103  30, 2013.
  104  
  105  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  106         And the title is amended as follows:
  107         Delete line 9
  108  and insert:
  109         its expiration; creating the Study Committee on
  110         Investor-Owned Water and Wastewater Utility Systems;
  111         providing for membership and terms of service;
  112         prohibiting compensation of the members; providing for
  113         reimbursement of the members for certain expenses;
  114         providing for removal or suspension of members by the
  115         appointing authority; requiring the Public Service
  116         Commission to provide staff, information, assistance,
  117         and facilities that are deemed necessary for the
  118         committee to perform its duties; providing for funding
  119         from the Florida Public Service Regulatory Trust Fund;
  120         providing duties of the committee; providing for
  121         public meetings; requiring the committee to report its
  122         findings to the Governor, the Legislature, and
  123         appropriate agencies and make certain recommendations;
  124         providing for future termination of the committee;
  125         providing an effective date.