Rep. Rosemary Mulligan
Filed: 4/25/2007
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1 | AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 2972
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2 | AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 2972 by replacing | ||||||
3 | everything after the enacting clause with the following:
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4 | "Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by changing | ||||||
5 | Section 8-303 as follows:
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6 | (220 ILCS 5/8-303) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 8-303)
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7 | Sec. 8-303. Where, within 30 days of receipt of a utility | ||||||
8 | bill, a
customer alleges that the level of consumption | ||||||
9 | reflected in his utility
bill is unreasonably high, it shall be | ||||||
10 | the responsibility of the public
utility furnishing natural or | ||||||
11 | artificial gas, electricity or water to that
customer to | ||||||
12 | investigate the allegation. If as a result of such an
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13 | investigation, the public utility determines that the | ||||||
14 | customer's line has
been tapped, the utility shall attempt to | ||||||
15 | ascertain the identity of the
third party benefiting from the | ||||||
16 | usage of the utility service or for
payment for all or part of |
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1 | the disputed charges. If the utility determines
that the | ||||||
2 | landlord of the building or his agent is the party who | ||||||
3 | benefited
from the usage of the utility service, either the | ||||||
4 | utility or the customer
may petition the court for the | ||||||
5 | appointment of receiver to collect the rents
due and to remit a | ||||||
6 | portion to the utility company for payment of bills for
the | ||||||
7 | tapped service, for current bills and for any expenses incurred | ||||||
8 | by the
utility as a result of the tap. The receiver shall make | ||||||
9 | all reasonable
efforts, including the obtaining of court | ||||||
10 | orders, to provide to the utility
access to the building. Any | ||||||
11 | changes in the building's piping which are
necessitated by the | ||||||
12 | tap shall be at the expense of the person benefiting
from the | ||||||
13 | tap.
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14 | If the utility determines that the landlord of the building | ||||||
15 | is not the
party who benefited from the usage of the utility | ||||||
16 | service, the customer
shall be so notified and shall also be | ||||||
17 | informed by the utility of a right
to register a dispute | ||||||
18 | pursuant to procedures developed by the Commission
for | ||||||
19 | resolution of disputed bills, including his right to bring a | ||||||
20 | complaint
before the Commission if an agreement with the | ||||||
21 | utility cannot be reached.
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22 | In order to enable the customer to ascertain whether the | ||||||
23 | level
of consumption is greater than the amounts billed in
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24 | other billing periods and to eliminate to the fullest extent
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25 | practicable consecutive estimated bills, the public utility | ||||||
26 | shall make an
actual meter reading at least every second |
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1 | billing
period. If a meter reader is unable to gain access to | ||||||
2 | the meter for the
purpose of making an actual reading, the | ||||||
3 | public utility shall take other
appropriate and reasonable | ||||||
4 | measures to read the meter. No late fees shall be charged to a | ||||||
5 | residential customer for bills that are estimated by the | ||||||
6 | utility.
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7 | Nothing in this Section shall preclude either the customer | ||||||
8 | or the public
utility from filing a complaint with the State's | ||||||
9 | Attorney located in the
county where the utility service is | ||||||
10 | being rendered to allege an unlawful
theft of the customer's | ||||||
11 | utility service.
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12 | (Source: P.A. 84-617.)
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13 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
14 | becoming law.".
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