SENATE DOCKET, NO. 659        FILED ON: 1/13/2009

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1511

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act to protect electricity consumers and the appropriation process from solicitation or acceptance of utility tariff-based funding for government activities..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1.  Section 6 of chapter 6A of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the first paragraph the following:-

            Notwithstanding the foregoing or any provision of the General Laws to the contrary, the Governor shall not create, establish, organize, or incorporate, either individually or collectively, a regional state committee on electricity without the prior statutory authorization of the general court.  To the extent any regional state committee on electricity is created, established, organized, or incorporated, the Governor shall not, without the prior statutory authorization of the general court, participate in such committee or authorize or direct the participation of any representative of the commonwealth or the Governor to participate in such committee, to the extent that its operations are funded through charges imposed on utility consumers within the commonwealth through the adoption of special provisions to the tariffs of Independent System Operator - New England or of any other electric company, transmission company or distribution company or of any other utility company.