94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HB1145

 

Introduced 02/08/05, by Rep. Julie Hamos

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
220 ILCS 5/5-109   from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 5-109

    Amends the Public Utilities Act. Requires a public utility seeking to classify information as proprietary or confidential to (i) identify to the Illinois Commerce Commission each and every piece of information it seeks to classify in that manner and (ii) justify the withholding of that information from public inspection. Provides that the existence of competition for a particular service is not alone sufficient justification for withholding information from public inspection. Provides that certain information is not confidential or proprietary. Effective immediately.


LRB094 06964 MKM 37079 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB1145 LRB094 06964 MKM 37079 b

1     AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by changing
5 Section 5-109 as follows:
 
6     (220 ILCS 5/5-109)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 5-109)
7     Sec. 5-109. Reports; false reports; penalty; confidential
8 and proprietary information.
9     (a) Each public utility in the State, other than a
10 commercial mobile radio service provider, shall each year
11 furnish to the Commission, in such form as the Commission shall
12 require, annual reports as to all the items mentioned in the
13 preceding Sections of this Article, and in addition such other
14 items, whether of a nature similar to those therein enumerated
15 or otherwise, as the Commission may prescribe. Such annual
16 reports shall contain all the required information for the
17 period of 12 months ending on June 30 in each year, or ending
18 on December 31 in each year, as the Commission may by order
19 prescribe for each class of public utilities, except commercial
20 mobile radio service providers, and shall be filed with the
21 Commission at its office in Springfield within 3 months after
22 the close of the year for which the report is made. The
23 Commission shall have authority to require any public utility
24 to file monthly reports of earnings and expenses of such
25 utility, and to file other periodical or special, or both
26 periodical and special reports concerning any matter about
27 which the Commission is authorized by law to keep itself
28 informed. All reports shall be under oath.
29     (b) When any report is erroneous or defective or appears to
30 the Commission to be erroneous or defective, the Commission may
31 notify the public utility to amend such report within 30 days,
32 and before or after the termination of such period the

 

 

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1 Commission may examine the officers, agents, or employees, and
2 books, records, accounts, vouchers, plant, equipment and
3 property of such public utility, and correct such items in the
4 report as upon such examination the Commission may find
5 defective or erroneous.
6     (c) It is the policy of this State that public utilities
7 subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission serve the public
8 interest and that information provided by these utilities is
9 presumed to be public information. All reports made to the
10 Commission by any public utility and the contents thereof shall
11 be open to public inspection, unless otherwise ordered by the
12 Commission. Any public utility seeking to classify information
13 as proprietary or confidential shall: (i) identify each and
14 every piece of information it seeks to classify in that manner
15 and (ii) justify to the Commission the withholding of that
16 information from the public. The existence of competition for a
17 particular service is not alone sufficient to justify
18 withholding information from public inspection.
19     The following information is not confidential or
20 proprietary:
21         (1) the availability of and location of services;
22         (2) the rates, fees, or prices charged for available
23     services in this State;
24         (3) information aggregated by customer class, by
25     service type, by region, Statewide, or for more than one
26     company;
27         (4) information concerning the market used or relied
28     upon by the Commission in approving a tariff or electric
29     rates under Section 16-111 and 16-112, including, but not
30     limited to, the price of the electric power and energy
31     component to the utility, the number and identity of
32     companies participating in the market, products offered in
33     the market, and regional differences reflected in the
34     market; and
35         (5) information otherwise publicly available.
36     (d) All reports made to the Commission by any public

 

 

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1 utility Such reports shall be preserved in the office of the
2 Commission.
3     (e) Any public utility which fails to make and file any
4 report called for by the Commission within the time specified;
5 or to make specific answer to any question propounded by the
6 Commission within 30 days from the time it is lawfully required
7 to do so, or within such further time, not to exceed 90 days,
8 as may in its discretion be allowed by the Commission, shall
9 forfeit up to $100 for each and every day it may so be in
10 default if the utility collects less than $100,000 annually in
11 gross revenue; and if the utility collects $100,000 or more
12 annually in gross revenue, it shall forfeit $1,000 per day for
13 each and every day it is in default.
14     (f) Any person who willfully makes any false return or
15 report to the Commission or to any member, officer, or employee
16 thereof, any person who willfully, in a return or report,
17 withholds or fails to provide material information to which the
18 Commission is entitled under this Act and which information is
19 either required to be filed by statute, rule, regulation,
20 order, or decision of the Commission or has been requested by
21 the Commission, and any person who willfully aids or abets such
22 person shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
23 (Source: P.A. 93-132, eff. 7-10-03; 93-457, eff. 8-8-03;
24 revised 9-12-03.)
 
25     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
26 becoming law.