State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Introduced ][ Engrossed ][ House Amendment 001 ]


92_SB0847sam001

 










                                             LRB9207148JSpcam

 1                    AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 847

 2        AMENDMENT NO.     .  Amend Senate Bill 847  by  replacing
 3    everything after the enacting clause with the following:

 4        "Section  5.  The  Public  Utilities  Act  is  amended by
 5    changing  Section  2-202  and  by  adding  Section  2-301  as
 6    follows:

 7        (220 ILCS 5/2-202) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 2-202)
 8        Sec. 2-202.  Policy; Public Utility Fund; tax.
 9        (a)  It is declared to be the public policy of this State
10    that in order to maintain and foster the effective regulation
11    of public utilities under this Act in the  interests  of  the
12    People  of  the State of Illinois and the public utilities as
13    well, the public utilities subject to regulation  under  this
14    Act  and  which  enjoy  the  privilege of operating as public
15    utilities  in  this  State,  shall  bear   the   expense   of
16    administering  this  Act  by means of a tax on such privilege
17    measured by the annual gross revenue of such public utilities
18    in the manner provided in this Section. For purposes of  this
19    Section,  "expense  of  administering  this Act" includes any
20    costs incident to studies, whether made by the Commission  or
21    under  contract  entered  into  by the Commission, concerning
22    environmental pollution problems caused or contributed to  by
 
                            -2-              LRB9207148JSpcam
 1    public  utilities  and  the  means for eliminating or abating
 2    those problems. Such  proceeds  shall  be  deposited  in  the
 3    Public Utility Fund in the State treasury.
 4        (b)  All  of  the ordinary and contingent expenses of the
 5    Commission incident to the administration of this  Act  shall
 6    be   paid   out   of  the  Public  Utility  Fund  except  the
 7    compensation of the members of the Commission which shall  be
 8    paid  from  the  General  Revenue Fund. Notwithstanding other
 9    provisions of this Act to  the  contrary,  the  ordinary  and
10    contingent   expenses  of  the  Commission  incident  to  the
11    administration of the Illinois Commercial Transportation  Law
12    may  be paid from appropriations from the Public Utility Fund
13    through the end of fiscal year 1986.
14        (c)  A tax is imposed upon each public utility subject to
15    the provisions of this Act equal to .08% of its gross revenue
16    for each calendar year  commencing  with  the  calendar  year
17    beginning January 1, 1982, except that the Commission may, by
18    rule,  establish  a  different rate no greater than 0.1%. For
19    purposes of this Section, "gross revenue" shall  not  include
20    revenue  from  the  production,  transmission,  distribution,
21    sale, delivery, or furnishing of electricity. "Gross revenue"
22    shall   not   include   amounts  paid  by  telecommunications
23    retailers    under    the    Telecommunications     Municipal
24    Infrastructure Maintenance Fee Act.
25        (d)  Annual  gross  revenue  returns  shall  be  filed in
26    accordance with paragraph (1) or (2) of this subsection (d).
27             (1)  Except as provided in  paragraph  (2)  of  this
28        subsection (d), on or before January 10 of each year each
29        public  utility  subject  to  the  provisions of this Act
30        shall file with the Commission an estimated annual  gross
31        revenue  return  containing  an estimate of the amount of
32        its  gross  revenue  for  the  calendar  year  commencing
33        January 1 of said year and a statement of the  amount  of
34        tax  due  for  said  calendar  year  on the basis of that
 
                            -3-              LRB9207148JSpcam
 1        estimate.  Public utilities may also file revised returns
 2        containing updated estimates and updated amounts  of  tax
 3        due  during  the calendar year. These revised returns, if
 4        filed, shall form the basis for  quarterly  payments  due
 5        during  the remainder of the calendar year.  In addition,
 6        on or before March 31 February  15  of  each  year,  each
 7        public  utility  shall file an amended return showing the
 8        actual amount of gross revenues shown  by  the  company's
 9        books and records as of December 31 of the previous year.
10        Forms  and  instructions for such estimated, revised, and
11        amended returns shall be  devised  and  supplied  by  the
12        Commission.
13             (2)  Beginning  with  returns  due  after January 1,
14        2002 1993, the requirements  of  paragraph  (1)  of  this
15        subsection  (d)  shall not apply to any public utility in
16        any calendar year for which  the  total  tax  the  public
17        utility  owes  under  this  Section  is less than $10,000
18        $1,000.  For such public utilities with respect  to  such
19        years, the public utility shall file with the Commission,
20        on  or  before March January 31 of the following year, an
21        annual gross revenue return for the year and a  statement
22        of  the  amount of  tax due for that year on the basis of
23        such a return. Forms and instructions  for  such  returns
24        and  corrected  returns  shall be devised and supplied by
25        the Commission.
26        (e)  All returns submitted to the Commission by a  public
27    utility  as provided in this subsection (e) or subsection (d)
28    of this Section shall contain or be  verified  by  a  written
29    declaration  by  an appropriate officer of the public utility
30    that the return is made under the penalties of  perjury.  The
31    Commission  may  audit  each  such  return submitted and may,
32    under the provisions of Section 5-101 of this Act, take  such
33    measures as are necessary to ascertain the correctness of the
34    returns submitted. The Commission has the power to direct the
 
                            -4-              LRB9207148JSpcam
 1    filing  of  a corrected return by any utility which has filed
 2    an incorrect return and to direct the filing of a  return  by
 3    any   utility  which  has  failed  to  submit  a  return.   A
 4    taxpayer's signing a fraudulent return under this Section  is
 5    perjury,  as  defined in Section 32-2 of the Criminal Code of
 6    1961.
 7        (f)  (1)  For all public utilities subject  to  paragraph
 8    (1)  of  subsection  (d),  at least one quarter of the annual
 9    amount of tax due under subsection (c) shall be paid  to  the
10    Commission  on  or  before  the  tenth day of January, April,
11    July, and October of the calendar year subject  to  tax.   In
12    the  event that an adjustment in the amount of tax due should
13    be necessary as a result of  the  filing  of  an  amended  or
14    corrected  return  under  subsection (d) or subsection (e) of
15    this Section, the amount of any deficiency shall be  paid  by
16    the  public  utility  together  with the amended or corrected
17    return and the amount of any excess shall, after  the  filing
18    of  a  claim for credit by the public utility, be returned to
19    the public utility in the form of a credit memorandum in  the
20    amount of such excess or be refunded to the public utility in
21    accordance  with  the  provisions  of  subsection (k) of this
22    Section.  However, if such deficiency or excess is less  than
23    $1,  then  the public utility need not pay the deficiency and
24    may not claim a credit.
25        (2)  Any public  utility  subject  to  paragraph  (2)  of
26    subsection  (d)  shall  pay  the  amount  of  tax  due  under
27    subsection  (c)  on or before March January 31 next following
28    the end of the calendar year subject to tax.   In  the  event
29    that  an  adjustment  in  the  amount  of  tax  due should be
30    necessary as a result of the filing  of  a  corrected  return
31    under  subsection  (e), the amount of any deficiency shall be
32    paid by the public utility at the time the  corrected  return
33    is  filed. Any excess tax payment by the public utility shall
34    be returned to it after the filing of a claim for credit,  in
 
                            -5-              LRB9207148JSpcam
 1    the  form of a credit memorandum in the amount of the excess.
 2    However, if such deficiency or excess is less  than  $1,  the
 3    public  utility need not pay the deficiency and may not claim
 4    a credit.
 5        (g)  Each installment or  required  payment  of  the  tax
 6    imposed  by  subsection (c) becomes delinquent at midnight of
 7    the date that it  is  due.  Failure  to  make  a  payment  as
 8    required  by this Section shall result in the imposition of a
 9    late payment penalty, an underestimation penalty, or both, as
10    provided by this subsection.  The late payment penalty  shall
11    be the greater of:
12             (1)  $25  for  each month or portion of a month that
13        the installment or required payment is unpaid or
14             (2)  an amount equal to the difference between  what
15        should  have  been  paid  on the due date, based upon the
16        most recently filed estimated, annual, or amended  return
17        estimate,  and what was actually paid, times 1%, for each
18        month or portion of  a  month  that  the  installment  or
19        required  payment  goes  unpaid.   This  penalty  may  be
20        assessed  as  soon as the installment or required payment
21        becomes delinquent.
22        The underestimation penalty shall apply to  those  public
23    utilities  subject  to  paragraph  (1)  of subsection (d) and
24    shall be calculated after the filing of the  amended  return.
25    It shall be imposed if the amount actually paid on any of the
26    dates  specified  in  subsection (f) is not equal to at least
27    one-fourth of the amount actually due for the year, and shall
28    equal the greater of:
29             (1)  $25 for each month or portion of a  month  that
30        the amount due is unpaid or
31             (2)  an  amount equal to the difference between what
32        should have been paid, based on the amended  return,  and
33        what  was  actually  paid  as  of  the  date specified in
34        subsection (f), times a percentage equal to 1/12  of  the
 
                            -6-              LRB9207148JSpcam
 1        sum  of  10% and the percentage most recently established
 2        by the Commission for interest to  be  paid  on  customer
 3        deposits  under  83 Ill. Adm. Code 280.70(e)(1), for each
 4        month or portion of a month  that  the  amount  due  goes
 5        unpaid,  except  that no underestimation penalty shall be
 6        assessed if the amount actually paid on or before each of
 7        the dates specified in subsection (f)  was  based  on  an
 8        estimate  of  gross revenues at least equal to the actual
 9        gross revenues for the previous year. The Commission  may
10        enforce  the  collection of any delinquent installment or
11        payment, or portion thereof by legal  action  or  in  any
12        other  manner  by  which  the collection of debts due the
13        State of Illinois may be enforced under the laws of  this
14        State.  The executive director or his designee may excuse
15        the payment of an assessed penalty or  a  portion  of  an
16        assessed   penalty   if   he   determines  that  enforced
17        collection of the penalty as assessed would be unjust.
18        (h)  All sums  collected  by  the  Commission  under  the
19    provisions  of  this Section shall be paid promptly after the
20    receipt of the same,  accompanied  by  a  detailed  statement
21    thereof, into the Public Utility Fund in the State treasury.
22        (i)  During  the  month  of  October of each odd-numbered
23    year the Commission shall:
24             (1)  determine the amount of all moneys deposited in
25        the Public  Utility  Fund  during  the  preceding  fiscal
26        biennium  plus  the  balance, if any, in that fund at the
27        beginning of that biennium;
28             (2)  determine the sum total of the following items:
29        (A)   all   moneys   expended   or   obligated    against
30        appropriations  made  from the Public Utility Fund during
31        the preceding fiscal biennium, plus (B) the  sum  of  the
32        credit  memoranda  then  outstanding  against  the Public
33        Utility Fund, if any; and
34             (3)  determine the amount, if any, by which the  sum
 
                            -7-              LRB9207148JSpcam
 1        determined  as  provided  in  item (1) exceeds the amount
 2        determined as provided in item (2).
 3        If the amount determined as provided in item (3) of  this
 4    subsection  exceeds  $5,000,000  $2,500,000,  the  Commission
 5    shall  then  compute  the proportionate amount, if any, which
 6    (x) the  tax  paid  hereunder  by  each  utility  during  the
 7    preceding  biennium,  and (y) the amount paid into the Public
 8    Utility Fund during the preceding biennium by the  Department
 9    of   Revenue  pursuant  to  Sections  2-9  and  2-11  of  the
10    Electricity Excise Tax Law, bears to the  difference  between
11    the  amount  determined  as  provided  in  item  (3)  of this
12    subsection (i) and $5,000,000  $2,500,000.    The  Commission
13    shall  cause the proportionate amount determined with respect
14    to payments made under the Electricity Excise Tax Law  to  be
15    transferred  into  the  General  Revenue  Fund  in  the State
16    Treasury, and notify each public utility  that  it  may  file
17    during  the  3  month period after the date of notification a
18    claim for credit for the proportionate amount determined with
19    respect to payments made hereunder by the public utility.  If
20    the  proportionate  amount  is less than $10, no notification
21    will be sent by the Commission,  and  no  right  to  a  claim
22    exists  as  to  that  amount.  Upon the filing of a claim for
23    credit within the period provided, the Commission shall issue
24    a credit memorandum in such amount to  such  public  utility.
25    Any  claim  for credit filed after the period provided for in
26    this Section is void.
27        (j)  Credit memoranda issued pursuant to  subsection  (f)
28    and  credit  memoranda  issued  after notification and filing
29    pursuant to subsection (i) may be  applied  for  the  2  year
30    period  from the date of issuance, against the payment of any
31    amount due during  that  period  under  the  tax  imposed  by
32    subsection  (c),  or,  subject  to  reasonable  rule  of  the
33    Commission  including  requirement  of  notification,  may be
34    assigned to any other public utility  subject  to  regulation
 
                            -8-              LRB9207148JSpcam
 1    under this Act. Any application of credit memoranda after the
 2    period provided for in this Section is void.
 3        (k)  The  chairman  or executive director may make refund
 4    of fees, taxes or other charges whenever he  shall  determine
 5    that  the  person  or  public  utility will not be liable for
 6    payment of such fees, taxes or charges  during  the  next  24
 7    months  and  he  determines  that  the  issuance  of a credit
 8    memorandum would be unjust.
 9    (Source: P.A. 90-561, eff. 8-1-98; 90-562, 12-16-97;  90-655,
10    eff. 7-30-98.)

11        (220 ILCS 5/2-301 new)
12        Sec. 2-301.  Filing fees.
13        (a)  In  addition  to  any  other  fees and taxes imposed
14    pursuant  to  this  Act,  the  Commission  is  authorized  to
15    establish by rule filing  fees  for  the  following  filings,
16    irrespective  of whether those filings are made by electronic
17    means or otherwise:
18             (1)  the filing of any rate;
19             (2)  the filing of contracts with customers when the
20        filing is required or permitted by this Act or by a  rate
21        on file pursuant to this Act;
22             (3)  the filing with a public utility's rates of any
23        municipal  ordinance,  as required by this Act or by rule
24        of the Commission;
25             (4)  the filing of any petition or  application  for
26        special  permission  for  the  filing  of  such  tariffs,
27        contracts, or ordinances;
28             (5)  the  filing  of  any  annual report required by
29        this Act or by rule of the Commission;
30             (6)  the filing of any annual certification required
31        by this Act or by rule of the Commission; and
32             (7)  the  filing  of  any   application,   petition,
33        complaint, negotiated agreement, arbitrated agreement, or
 
                            -9-              LRB9207148JSpcam
 1        any other pleading, document, or writing that initiates a
 2        contested  case,  licensing  proceeding, rulemaking, rate
 3        proceeding,  declaratory  ruling  proceeding,  or   other
 4        formal   Commission   proceeding,   except  a  proceeding
 5        initiated by the Commission itself.
 6        The Commission may provide by rule for reasonable waivers
 7    of, or reductions in, these fees, and shall provide  by  rule
 8    that  no  filing  fees shall be charged under this Section to
 9    any municipality, county, or "statutory  consumer  protection
10    agency"  as  that  term is defined in Section 9-102.1 of this
11    Act.
12        (b)  The fees established by the Commission shall be  set
13    at  amounts reasonably calculated, on the basis of reasonable
14    projections  based  upon  information  for  the  must  recent
15    12-month period available at the time the Commission's  rules
16    are proposed, to produce revenues equal to $500,000 per year.
17    This shall not be a limitation on the amount of fees actually
18    collected  by  the  Commission  under  this Section. All fees
19    collected by the  Commission  under  this  Section  shall  be
20    deposited  in  the Public Utility Fund in the State treasury.
21    The  Commission  shall  account  separately  for  all  moneys
22    received under this Section, and shall  expend  those  moneys
23    only  for  the  purposes  of creating and maintaining  one or
24    more electronic systems for the filing, maintenance, storage,
25    and retrieval of documents and information, including without
26    limitation    rates,    contracts,    ordinances,    reports,
27    certifications,    petitions,    applications,    complaints,
28    negotiated  agreements,  arbitrated  agreements,   pleadings,
29    writings, and all evidence and documents that are part of the
30    Commission's record in formal proceedings. Moneys received by
31    the  Commission  under  this Section shall not at any time be
32    appropriated or diverted to any other use or purpose.
33        (c)  Upon failure to pay an applicable filing fee for any
34    document under this Section,  the  Commission  shall  neither
 
                            -10-             LRB9207148JSpcam
 1    allow  the  filing  nor entertain a proceeding concerning the
 2    document. No prescribed time limit imposed on the  Commission
 3    or  its proceedings begins to run until the applicable filing
 4    fee is paid. In addition, and without limiting any  power  of
 5    the Commission under any other Section of this Act to revoke,
 6    rescind, or reconsider any certificate issued under this Act,
 7    failure  to pay any filing fee for an annual report or annual
 8    certification required by this  Act  or  by  Commission  rule
 9    shall  be  grounds  for  the  revocation or suspension of the
10    non-paying entity's certificate  of  public  convenience  and
11    necessity,  certificate  of  service  authority,  certificate
12    authorizing  operations  as  a common carrier by pipeline, or
13    other franchise, license, permit, or right to  own,  operate,
14    manage,  or  control  any  public utility, telecommunications
15    carrier, common carrier by pipeline,  or  alternative  retail
16    electric supplier.
17        (d)  This Section is repealed effective July 1, 2007.

18        Section  10.  The  Illinois  Vehicle  Code  is amended by
19    adding Section 18c-1502.15 as follows:

20        (625 ILCS 5/18c-1502.15 new)
21        Sec 18c-1502.15.  Appropriations for Electronic  One-Stop
22    System.  Each  fiscal  year from fiscal year 2003 through and
23    including  fiscal  year  2007,  the  General   Assembly   may
24    appropriate up to $500,000 from the Transportation Regulatory
25    Fund  to  support the Commission's operation of an Electronic
26    One-Stop System.

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

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