Imposes confidentiality requirements on the PUC when it obtains proprietary documents from telecommunications providers under its general authority to inspect books and records. Allows disclosure of such documents pursuant to court order under the state's open records law.
Dispenses with the current requirement for a hearing before the PUC may approve the rearrangement of exchange areas.
Prohibits the PUC from considering a provider's overall rate of return for purposes of determining rates for particular products and services if the provider has sought and obtained approval of an alternative form of regulation under which those products and services are offered.
Moves public coin telephone service from part 2 of the telecommunications law (governing fully regulated products and services) to part 4 (products and services exempt from economic regulation).
APPROVED by Governor March 31, 1999
EFFECTIVE March 31, 1999
S.B. 99-153 Natural gas - retail sales - choice of supplier - voluntary plans for market restructuring. Permits natural gas public utilities to file voluntary plans, subject to the approval of the public utilities commission (PUC), for opening the market to competition in the supply of natural gas to consumers. Requires that any such plan contain specified provisions designed to preserve the integrity and reliability of service, unbundle transmission (i.e., pipeline) and delivery services from natural gas supply, prohibit "slamming", and continue funding of existing low-income programs at least through calendar year 2005.
Allows natural gas public utilities to recover "transition costs", defined to include investments made and costs incurred that the PUC finds to have been reasonably and prudently made in the provision of natural gas service to the public before the effective date of a restructuring plan.
Authorizes the PUC to adopt additional rules as necessary to protect the public interest and foster competition.
Declares that the current method of funding the PUC and the office of consumer counsel (OCC) should be replaced by another method. Requires the PUC and OCC to recommend to the general assembly, on or before December 1, 2000, legislative changes needed to develop alternative funding mechanisms.
Directs the PUC to conduct a study of the effects of market restructuring on low-income consumers and report the results of such study to the general assembly within 2 years after implementation of the first voluntary plan that affects a significant number of low-income consumers.
APPROVED by Governor May 28, 1999
EFFECTIVE August 4, 1999
NOTE: This act shall take effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly that is allowed for submitting a referendum petition pursuant to article V, section 1 (3) of the state constitution; except that, if a referendum petition is filed against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part, if approved by the people, shall take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by proclamation of the governor.
S.B. 99-165 Reading services for the blind cash fund - appropriation. Requires the general assembly to make annual appropriations out of the Colorado disabled telephone users fund to the reading services for the blind cash fund for use by the state librarian in support of privately operated reading services for the blind.
Authorizes the public utilities commission to collect information in order to prepare a report to the business affairs and labor committees of the general assembly by December 15, 1999. Requires the report to specify the telecommunications equipment and service needs of disabled telephone users in Colorado.
Appropriates $93,800 out of the Colorado disabled telephone users fund to the Colorado reading services for the blind cash fund. Further appropriates $93,800 out of the reading services for the blind cash fund to the department of education for use by the state librarian in support of reading services.
APPROVED by Governor May 28, 1999
EFFECTIVE May 28, 1999
S.B. 99-169 Electricity advisory panel - expense reimbursement. Allows members of the electricity advisory panel who reside outside of the Denver metropolitan area to be entitled to reimbursement for their reasonable and actual expenses incurred to attend meetings. Provides that all panel members are entitled to reimbursement for reasonable and actual expenses incurred to attend the public meetings associated with obtaining public comment on the panel's draft report but the total of all reimbursements cannot exceed the amounts appropriated or voluntarily contributed for this purpose.
APPROVED by Governor May 18, 1999
EFFECTIVE May 18, 1999
H.B. 99-1114 Railroad crossings - increase in costs to be paid by railroad corporations. Increases the maximum amount that a railroad corporation may be required to pay for railroad crossing construction in any year to $2.5 million.
APPROVED by Governor March 24, 1999
EFFECTIVE August 4, 1999
NOTE: This act shall take effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the ninety-day period after final
adjournment of the general assembly that is allowed for submitting a referendum petition pursuant to article V, section
1 (3) of the state constitution; except that, if a referendum petition is filed against this act or an item, section, or part of
this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part, if approved by the people, shall take effect on the date
of the official declaration of the vote thereon by proclamation of the governor.
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