Amendment ID: S2829-20

Amendment 20

Assessments Modification

Ms. Lovely, Ms. Edwards and Messrs. Eldridge and Moore move that the proposed new draft be amended by inserting the following section:-

SECTION XX. Chapter 25A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out section 11H in its entirety and replacing it with the following new section:

Section 11H. (a) The department of energy resources may make an assessment against each electric and gas utility company licensed to do business in the commonwealth by the department of public utilities, based upon the intrastate operating revenues subject to the jurisdiction of the department of public utilities of each such company derived from sales within the commonwealth of electric and gas service, respectively, as shown in the annual report of each such company to the department of public utilities. Assessments shall be made at a rate not exceeding 0.3 per cent of such intrastate operating revenues, as shall be determined and certified annually by the commissioner as sufficient to reimburse the commonwealth for funds appropriated by the general court for the operation and general administration of the department, exclusive of funds appropriated by the general court for the cost of fringe benefits as established by the comptroller pursuant to section 5D of chapter 29, including group life and health insurance, retirement benefits, paid vacations, holidays and sick leave. Assessments made under this section may be credited to the normal operating cost of each company. Each company shall pay the amount assessed against it within 30 days after the date of the notice of assessment from the department. Such assessments shall be collected by the department and credited to the General Fund. Any funds unexpended in any fiscal year for the purposes for which such assessments were made shall be credited against the assessment to be made in the following fiscal year and the assessment in the following fiscal year shall be reduced by any such unexpended amount. This section shall not apply to municipally owned electric and gas companies.