South Carolina General Assembly

122nd Session, 2017-2018

H. 4380

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill

Sponsors: Reps. McCoy, Ott, Lucas, Anderson, Ballentine, Blackwell, Caskey, Crawford, Crosby, Davis, Finlay, Forrester, Gilliard, Hardee, Henegan, Hixon, Mack, Pope, Rutherford, J.E.Smith, Sandifer, Stavrinakis, Erickson, Huggins, W.Newton, Bales, Young, McEachern, Clary, Tallon, Brown, RobinsonSimpson, V.S.Moss, Clyburn, Bennett, Daning, Govan, Weeks, Henderson and HendersonMyers

Document Path: l:\council\bills\agm\19228wab18.docx

Introduced in the House on January 9, 2018

Currently residing in the House

Summary: Public Service Commission

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date Body Action Description with journal page number

11/9/2017 House Prefiled

11/9/2017 House Referred to Committee on Judiciary

1/9/2018 House Introduced and read first time (House Journalpage89)

1/9/2018 House Referred to Committee on Judiciary (House Journalpage90)

1/10/2018 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Bennett

1/10/2018 House Committee report: Favorable Judiciary (House Journalpage25)

1/11/2018 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Daning

1/16/2018 House Debate adjourned until Wednesday, January 17, 2018

1/23/2018 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Govan, Weeks

1/24/2018 House Debate adjourned until Thur., 12518 (House Journalpage48)

1/25/2018 House Debate adjourned until Tues., 13018 (House Journalpage30)

1/25/2018 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Henderson

1/30/2018 House Debate adjourned until Wed., 13118 (House Journalpage15)

2/1/2018 House Requests for debateRep(s).Delleney, Pope, Bryant, B> Newton, McCoy, Davis, Clary, Caskey, Ott, West, Hardee, Herbkersman, Anderson, Blackwell, Jefferson, Hart (House Journalpage26)

2/7/2018 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: HendersonMyers

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

11/9/2017

1/10/2018

COMMITTEE REPORT

January 10, 2018

H.4380

Introduced by Reps. McCoy, Ott, Lucas, Anderson, Ballentine, Blackwell, Caskey, Crawford, Crosby, Davis, Finlay, Forrester, Gilliard, Hardee, Henegan, Hixon, Mack, Pope, Rutherford, J.E.Smith, Sandifer, Stavrinakis, Erickson, Huggins, W.Newton, Bales, Young, McEachern, Clary, Tallon, Brown, RobinsonSimpson, V.S.Moss, Clyburn and Bennett

S. Printed 1/10/18--H.

Read the first time January 9, 2018.

THE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY

To whom was referred a Bill (H.4380) to amend the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, by adding Section 5827875 so as to provide the Public Service Commission shall order refunds to ratepayers, etc., respectfully

REPORT:

That they have duly and carefully considered the same and recommend that the same do pass:

F. GREGORY DELLENEY for Committee.

[4380-1]

A BILL

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 5827875 SO AS TO PROVIDE THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION SHALL ORDER REFUNDS TO RATEPAYERS OF AMOUNTS COLLECTED FOR COSTS ATTRIBUTED TO PROJECTS CONSTRUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE BASE LOAD REVIEW ACT IN SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES; TO PROVIDE UTILITIES BEAR THE BURDEN OF PROVING THAT COLLECTED COSTS MAY BE RECOVERABLE UNDER STATE LAW; AND TO PROVIDE THE COMMISSION SHALL ORDER SUCH REFUNDS ON JUST AND REASONABLE BASES AND MAY MAKE SUCH REFUNDS BY ESTABLISHING CREDITS TO RATEPAYERS OVER PERIODS OF TIME AND UNDER CONDITIONS THAT ARE JUST AND REASONABLE.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Article 7, Chapter 27, Title 58 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

“Section 5827875. (A) The Public Service Commission shall order a refund to ratepayers of all amounts collected for costs attributed to a project constructed under the provisions of the Base Load Review Act, if it finds the costs:

(1) are not actually used and useful for utility purposes as defined in Section 5834110;

(2) constitute a wrongful taking under the South Carolina Constitution, 1895, or the United States Constitution;

(3) were the result of imprudence on the part of the utility;

(4) were the result of a wilful misrepresentation or failure to disclose material facts by the utility; or

(5) were the result of poor management or oversight by the utility.

(B) For the purposes of this section, the utility shall bear the burden of proving that the costs collected may be recoverable under applicable state law.

(C) The commission shall order a refund of such amounts to the ratepayers on a basis that is just and reasonable. In acting to provide for refunds, the commission may do so by establishing a credit to ratepayers over a term and under conditions that are just and reasonable.”

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

XX

[4380] 1