PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 2220

PRINTER'S NO.  3319

  

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

  

HOUSE BILL

 

No.

1747

Session of

2009

  

  

INTRODUCED BY KOTIK, MUSTIO, DEASY, READSHAW, D. COSTA, KORTZ, PASHINSKI, FRANKEL, GEIST, MAHONEY AND DERMODY, JUNE 18, 2009

  

  

AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER AFFAIRS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, MARCH 10, 2010   

  

  

  

AN ACT

  

1

Amending Title 66 (Public Utilities) of the Pennsylvania

2

Consolidated Statutes, further providing for the definition

3

of "public utility"; adding the definition of "common carrier

<--

4

service at airports" repealing the definition of "limousine

<--

5

service"; and further providing for certificate of public

6

convenience required and for miscellaneous provisions.

<--

7

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

8

hereby enacts as follows:

9

Section 1.  The definition of "public utility" in section 102

<--

10

of Title 66 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes is amended

11

to read:

12

§ 102.  Definitions.

13

Subject to additional definitions contained in subsequent

14

provisions of this part which are applicable to specific

15

provisions of this part, the following words and phrases when

16

used in this part shall have, unless the context clearly

17

indicates otherwise, the meanings given to them in this section:

18

* * *

19

"Public utility."

 


1

(1)  Any person or corporations now or hereafter owning

2

or operating in this Commonwealth equipment or facilities

3

for:

4

(i)  Producing, generating, transmitting,

5

distributing or furnishing natural or artificial gas,

6

electricity, or steam for the production of light, heat,

7

or power to or for the public for compensation.

8

(ii)  Diverting, developing, pumping, impounding,

9

distributing, or furnishing water to or for the public

10

for compensation.

11

(iii)  Transporting passengers or property as a

12

common carrier.

13

(iv)  Use as a canal, turnpike, tunnel, bridge,

14

wharf, and the like for the public for compensation.

15

(v)  Transporting or conveying natural or artificial

16

gas, crude oil, gasoline, or petroleum products,

17

materials for refrigeration, or oxygen or nitrogen, or

18

other fluid substance, by pipeline or conduit, for the

19

public for compensation.

20

(vi)  Conveying or transmitting messages or

21

communications, except as set forth in paragraph (2)(iv),

22

by telephone or telegraph or domestic public land mobile

23

radio service including, but not limited to, point-to-

24

point microwave radio service for the public for

25

compensation.

26

(vii)  Sewage collection, treatment, or disposal for

27

the public for compensation.

28

(viii)  Providing limousine service in a county of

29

the second class pursuant to Subchapter B of Chapter 11

30

(relating to common carrier service at airports and 

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1

limousine service in counties of the second class).

2

(2)  The term does not include:

3

(i)  Any person or corporation, not otherwise a

4

public utility, who or which furnishes service only to

5

himself or itself.

6

(ii)  Any bona fide cooperative association which

7

furnishes service only to its stockholders or members on

8

a nonprofit basis.

9

(iii)  Any producer of natural gas not engaged in

10

distributing such gas directly to the public for

11

compensation.

12

(iv)  Any person or corporation, not otherwise a

13

public utility, who or which furnishes mobile domestic

14

cellular radio telecommunications service.

15

(v)  Any building or facility owner/operators who

16

hold ownership over and manage the internal distribution

17

system serving such building or facility and who supply

18

electric power and other related electric power services

19

to occupants of the building or facility.

20

(vi)  Electric generation supplier companies, except

21

for the limited purposes as described in sections 2809

22

(relating to requirements for electric generation

23

suppliers) and 2810 (relating to revenue-neutral

24

reconciliation).

25

(3)  For the purposes of sections 2702 (relating to

26

construction, relocation, suspension and abolition of

27

crossings), 2703 (relating to ejectment in crossing cases)

28

and 2704 (relating to compensation for damages occasioned by

29

construction, relocation or abolition of crossings) and those

30

portions of sections 1501 (relating to character of service

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1

and facilities), 1505 (relating to proper service and

2

facilities established on complaint) and 1508 (relating to

3

reports of accidents), as those sections or portions thereof

4

relate to safety only, a municipal authority or

5

transportation authority organized under the laws of this

6

Commonwealth shall be considered a public utility when it

7

owns or operates, for the carriage of passengers or goods by

8

rail, a line of railroad composed of lines formerly owned or

9

operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Penn-Central

10

Transportation Company, the Reading Company or the

11

Consolidated Rail Corporation.

12

* * *

13

Section 2.  Subchapter B heading of Chapter 11 of Title 66 is

14

amended to read:

15

SUBCHAPTER B

16

COMMON CARRIER SERVICE AT AIRPORTS AND LIMOUSINE SERVICE IN

17

COUNTIES OF THE SECOND CLASS

18

Section 3.  Section 1121 of Title 66 is amended by adding a

19

definition to read:

20

§ 1121.  Definitions.

21

The following words and phrases when used in this chapter

22

shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

23

context clearly indicates otherwise:

24

"Common carrier service at airports."  Common carrier service

25

for passengers which originates or terminates at an airport in a

26

county of the second class. The term shall not include the

27

transportation system or transit services authorized under the

28

act of April 6, 1956 (1955 P.L.1414, No.465), known as the

29

Second Class County Port Authority Act.

30

* * *

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1

Section 4.  Sections 1122(a) and 1124(b) of Title 66 are

2

amended to read:

3

§ 1122.  Certificate of public convenience required.

4

(a)  General rule.--In order to provide common carrier

5

service at airports or to operate limousine service in a county

6

of the second class, a certificate of public convenience must be

7

issued by the commission.

8

* * *

9

§ 1124.  Miscellaneous provisions.

10

* * *

11

(b)  Inconsistent provisions of law.--Any other law of this

12

Commonwealth found to be inconsistent with this subchapter is

13

hereby repealed insofar as it affects the regulation of common

14

carrier service at airports and limousine service in counties of

15

the second class.

16

Section 5.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.

17

Section 1.  The definition of "public utility" in section 102

<--

18

of Title 66 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes is amended

19

to read:

20

§ 102.  Definitions.

21

Subject to additional definitions contained in subsequent

22

provisions of this part which are applicable to specific

23

provisions of this part, the following words and phrases when

24

used in this part shall have, unless the context clearly

25

indicates otherwise, the meanings given to them in this section:

26

* * *

27

"Public utility."

28

(1)  Any person or corporations now or hereafter owning

29

or operating in this Commonwealth equipment or facilities

30

for:

- 5 -

 


1

(i)  Producing, generating, transmitting,

2

distributing or furnishing natural or artificial gas,

3

electricity, or steam for the production of light, heat,

4

or power to or for the public for compensation.

5

(ii)  Diverting, developing, pumping, impounding,

6

distributing, or furnishing water to or for the public

7

for compensation.

8

(iii)  Transporting passengers or property as a

9

common carrier.

10

(iv)  Use as a canal, turnpike, tunnel, bridge,

11

wharf, and the like for the public for compensation.

12

(v)  Transporting or conveying natural or artificial

13

gas, crude oil, gasoline, or petroleum products,

14

materials for refrigeration, or oxygen or nitrogen, or

15

other fluid substance, by pipeline or conduit, for the

16

public for compensation.

17

(vi)  Conveying or transmitting messages or

18

communications, except as set forth in paragraph (2)(iv),

19

by telephone or telegraph or domestic public land mobile

20

radio service including, but not limited to, point-to-

21

point microwave radio service for the public for

22

compensation.

23

(vii)  Sewage collection, treatment, or disposal for

24

the public for compensation.

25

(viii)  Providing [limousine] common carrier service

26

in a county of the second class pursuant to Subchapter B

27

of Chapter 11 (relating to [limousine service] common

28

carrier service in counties of the second class).

29

(2)  The term does not include:

30

(i)  Any person or corporation, not otherwise a

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1

public utility, who or which furnishes service only to

2

himself or itself.

3

(ii)  Any bona fide cooperative association which

4

furnishes service only to its stockholders or members on

5

a nonprofit basis.

6

(iii)  Any producer of natural gas not engaged in

7

distributing such gas directly to the public for

8

compensation.

9

(iv)  Any person or corporation, not otherwise a

10

public utility, who or which furnishes mobile domestic

11

cellular radio telecommunications service.

12

(v)  Any building or facility owner/operators who

13

hold ownership over and manage the internal distribution

14

system serving such building or facility and who supply

15

electric power and other related electric power services

16

to occupants of the building or facility.

17

(vi)  Electric generation supplier companies, except

18

for the limited purposes as described in sections 2809

19

(relating to requirements for electric generation

20

suppliers) and 2810 (relating to revenue-neutral

21

reconciliation).

22

(3)  For the purposes of sections 2702 (relating to

23

construction, relocation, suspension and abolition of

24

crossings), 2703 (relating to ejectment in crossing cases)

25

and 2704 (relating to compensation for damages occasioned by

26

construction, relocation or abolition of crossings) and those

27

portions of sections 1501 (relating to character of service

28

and facilities), 1505 (relating to proper service and

29

facilities established on complaint) and 1508 (relating to

30

reports of accidents), as those sections or portions thereof

- 7 -

 


1

relate to safety only, a municipal authority or

2

transportation authority organized under the laws of this

3

Commonwealth shall be considered a public utility when it

4

owns or operates, for the carriage of passengers or goods by

5

rail, a line of railroad composed of lines formerly owned or

6

operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Penn-Central

7

Transportation Company, the Reading Company or the

8

Consolidated Rail Corporation.

9

* * *

10

Section 2.  Subchapter B heading of Chapter 11 of Title 66 is

11

amended to read:

12

SUBCHAPTER B

13

[LIMOUSINE SERVICE] COMMON CARRIER SERVICE

14

IN COUNTIES OF THE SECOND CLASS

15

Section 3.  The definition of "limousine service" in section

16

1121 of Title 66 is repealed:

17

§ 1121.  Definitions.

18

The following words and phrases when used in this chapter

19

shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

20

context clearly indicates otherwise:

21

* * *

22

["Limousine service."  Local nonscheduled common carrier

23

service for passengers rendered in luxury-type vehicles for

24

compensation on an exclusive basis that is arranged in advance.]

25

Section 4.  Sections 1122(a) and 1124(b) of Title 66 are

26

amended to read:

27

§ 1122.  Certificate of public convenience required.

28

(a)  General rule.--In order to [operate limousine service]

29

provide common carrier service in a county of the second class,

30

a certificate of public convenience must be issued by the

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1

commission.

2

* * *

3

§ 1124.  Miscellaneous provisions.

4

* * *

5

(b)  Inconsistent provisions of law.--Any other law of this

6

Commonwealth found to be inconsistent with this subchapter is

7

hereby repealed insofar as it affects the regulation of

8

[limousine service] common carrier service in counties of the

9

second class.

10

Section 5.  This act shall take effect in 120 days.

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