PRINTER'S NO. 1661
No. 1375 Session of 1983
INTRODUCED BY STEIGHNER, PERZEL, DOMBROWSKI, COWELL, COY,
BELFANTI, CAWLEY, PISTELLA, JAROLIN, GALLAGHER, TIGUE, GEIST,
BLAUM, KOSINSKI, FATTAH, WARGO, MORRIS, VAN HORNE, COHEN,
SIRIANNI, CIMINI, DeLUCA, AFFLERBACH, E. Z. TAYLOR, GANNON,
BALDWIN, MAIALE, LETTERMAN, WOZNIAK, ITKIN AND D. R. WRIGHT,
JULY 21, 1983
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER AFFAIRS, JULY 21, 1983
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 66 (Public Utilities) of the Pennsylvania
2 Consolidated Statutes, providing for the availability of
3 formal complaint forms; changing certain procedures; and
4 requiring detailed explanations of complaint procedures.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Section 701 of Title 66 of the Pennsylvania
8 Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
9 § 701. Complaints.
10 (a) General rule.--The commission, or any person,
11 corporation, or municipal corporation having an interest in the
12 subject matter, or any public utility concerned, may complain in
13 writing, setting forth any act or thing done or omitted to be
14 done by any public utility in violation, or claimed violation,
15 of any law which the commission has jurisdiction to administer,
16 or of any regulation or order of the commission. Any public
17 utility, or other person, or corporation likewise may complain
1 of any regulation or order of the commission, which the
2 complainant is or has been required by the commission to observe
3 or carry into effect. The Commonwealth through the Attorney
4 General may be a complainant before the commission in any matter
5 solely as an advocate for the Commonwealth as a consumer of
6 public utility services. The commission may prescribe the form
7 of complaints filed under this section.
8 (b) Availability of complaint forms.--The commission shall
9 furnish and require each public utility to maintain at their
10 home office in each service area adequate formal complaint forms
11 for free public distribution. The commission shall furnish to
12 each member of the General Assembly no less than 50 formal
13 complaint forms to be kept in the member's home office for free
14 public distribution.
15 (c) Explanation of complaint procedures.--The commission
16 shall develop a detailed written explanation of the procedures
17 necessary to file and process a formal complaint to a final
18 decision. The written explanation shall be furnished by the
19 commission, shall be attached to the complaint form and shall be
20 available for free distribution to the public. The procedures
21 adopted by the commission shall not require any person filing a
22 complaint to appear as a witness in any proceeding which
23 originated from the complaint.
24 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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