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92nd General Assembly

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Public Act 92-0071

SB683 Enrolled                                 LRB9208035JSpc

    AN ACT concerning public utilities.

    Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:

    Section 5.  The Public Utilities Act is amended by adding
Sections 8-501.5, 8-505.5, and 9-245 as follows:

    (220 ILCS 5/8-501.5 new)
    Sec.  8-501.5.  Employees  and  independent  contractors;
background checks.
    (a)  Before  hiring an employee or independent contractor
to  perform  work   involving   facilities   used   for   the
distribution  of  natural  gas to customers, a public utility
shall, in  accordance  with  Commission  rules,  require  the
proposed  employee  or  independent  contractor to complete a
certificate listing the proposed employee's  or  contractor's
violations of pertinent safety or environmental laws.
    (b)  The  Commission  shall  adopt rules establishing the
requirements for the certificates referred to  in  subsection
(a).

    (220 ILCS 5/8-505.5 new)
    Sec.   8-505.5.  Work   on   natural   gas  regulator  or
manometer.  The Commission shall require, under such rules as
it may prescribe, a public utility that is performing work on
a natural gas regulator or manometer containing mercury  that
is  used to provide natural gas service to test the immediate
area around the regulator or manometer for mercury before and
after work is performed using testing instruments of the type
approved by the Commission.  Copies of the test  results,  if
requested,  shall be provided to the occupant or owner of the
property upon which the regulator or manometer is located  at
the  time  the  work is performed.  The test results shall be
available for inspection by the Commission.

    (220 ILCS 5/9-245 new)
    Sec. 9-245.  Rates; environmental fines and  remediation.
In  determining  the  rates  for  a public utility engaged in
providing natural gas service, the Commission may not include
any  expenditure  for  fines  or  remediation   and   related
activities  incurred as a result of mercury spills associated
with  gas  pressure  regulators,  manometers,  or  any  other
devices containing mercury  in  the  utility's  system.   Any
related  insurance  or  third  party  recoveries must also be
excluded for ratemaking purposes.

    Section 99.  Effective date. This Act takes  effect  upon
becoming law.
    Passed in the General Assembly April 26, 2001.
    Approved July 12, 2001.
    Effective July 12, 2001.

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