PRINTER'S NO. 3559
No. 2639 Session of 1982
INTRODUCED BY TRELLO, CESSAR, ITKIN, GEORGE, LETTERMAN, FEE,
FRYER, PETRONE, PISTELLA, GRABOWSKI, DAWIDA, DUFFY, MRKONIC,
HORGOS, MICHLOVIC, COWELL, SEVENTY, OLASZ, KOLTER, McVERRY,
MARMION, BURD AND FISCHER, SEPTEMBER 13, 1982
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER AFFAIRS, SEPTEMBER 13, 1982
AN ACT
1 Relating to public utility gas rates, freezing these rates at
2 the pre-September 1, 1982 level and creating a joint
3 committee to investigate rates.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Rate freeze.
7 The rates charged by public utilities, as defined in Title 66
8 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes (relating to Public
9 Utilities), for natural gas supplied to residential and
10 commercial customers within the Commonwealth are hereby frozen
11 at the rates in effect on August 31, 1982, notwithstanding any
12 regulations of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to the
13 contrary.
14 Section 2. Committee.
15 (a) Purpose.--There is hereby created a joint committee to
16 investigate natural gas rates charged by public utilities
17 operating within the Commonwealth.
1 (b) Composition.--The committee shall be composed of nine
2 members: three members of the House of Representatives, two from
3 the majority and one from the minority, selected by the Speaker;
4 three members of the Senate, two from the majority and one from
5 the minority, selected by the President pro tempore; and three
6 members of the general public, representative of utility
7 consumer groups, selected jointly by the Speaker of the House of
8 Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate.
9 (c) Expenses.--Members of the committee shall receive no
10 compensation but shall be reimbursed for all actual and
11 necessary expenses incurred while performing their duties under
12 this act.
13 (d) Investigation.--The committee may hold hearings, take
14 testimony and make its investigations at such places as it deems
15 necessary within the Commonwealth. Each legislative member of
16 the committee shall have power to administer oaths and
17 affirmations to witnesses appearing before the committee.
18 (e) Report.--The committee shall make its report to the
19 General Assembly within six months of the date of final
20 enactment of this act.
21 Section 3. Effective date.
22 This act shall take effect immediately and shall be
23 retroactive to August 31, 1982.
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