SB0692sam001 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Sen. Antonio Muñoz

Filed: 2/25/2010

09600SB0692sam001 LRB096 06759 MJR 37619 a

AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 692

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 692 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by adding Section 8-515 as follows:

(220 ILCS 5/8-515 new)

Sec. 8-515. Gas public utility employees; staffing.

(a) The General Assembly finds that:

(1) the reliability and safety of the gas system has depended on a workforce of skilled and dedicated employees equipped with technical training and experience;

(2) the integrity and reliability of the system has also depended on the industry's commitment to invest in regular inspection and maintenance and to assure that it can withstand the demands of heavy service requirements and emergency situations;

(3) it is in the State's interest to protect the interests of gas public utility employees who have dedicated themselves to assuring reliable service to the citizens of this State;

(4) the Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company's workforce quality is insufficient, does not assure safe and reliable service to its customers, and does not adequately maintain its system; this is evident by the nature of outages, the delay in restoring service to customers, and the number of complaints received by legislators; and

(5) the General Assembly finds that it is necessary to assure that employees have the requisite skills, knowledge, and competence to provide reliable and safe natural gas service.

(b) The Commission shall establish appropriate workforce levels for gas public utilities. The knowledge, skill, and competence levels to be demonstrated shall be consistent with those generally required of or by the gas public utilities in this State with respect to their employees.

(c) Gas public utilities shall restore service for a customer within 24 hours after receiving notice that a customer is out of service.

(d) A gas public utility that violates or fails to obey, observe, or comply with any order, decision, rule, regulation, direction, or requirement, or any part or provision thereof of the Commission, made or issued under authority of subsections (b) or (c) of this Section shall be subject to a civil penalty of no more than $30,000 for each offense.

(e) A gas public utility shall keep all repair appointments when a customer premises visit requires a customer to be present and inform a customer when a repair appointment requires the customer to be present. If a gas public utility fails to satisfy the requirements of this subsection (e), then the gas public utility shall credit the customer $50 per missed appointment. A credit required by this subsection (e) does not apply when the gas public utility provides the customer with 24-hour notice of its inability to keep the appointment.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.".