20040908Memo from Legislative Services.pdf

Legislative Services Offi~~E~VED
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,L.f j- UbL I CCarl F. Bianchi
Director
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P.O. Box 83720
Boise. ID 83720-0054
208/334-2475; Fax [phone]
www2.state.id.us/legislat
FROM:
DATE:
Germane Subcommittees of Administrative Rules Review of the Senate and House of
Representatives State Affairs Committees
Research and Legislation Staff, Nugent ~"N
September 2, 2004
TO:
SUBJECT: Two Sets of Proposed Rules of the Public Utilities Commission Concerning
Utility's Customer Relations and Telephone Company Customer Relations
31.21.01 and 31.41.01
The Public Utilities Commission is proposing to promulgate two sets of proposed rules. The first
set of proposed rules relates to a utility's customer relations rules and the second set relates to
telephone company customer relations. The first set of proposed rules 'relate to instances where
customers have made deposits or advance payments to obtain utility service. The proposed rules
would allow a public utility to transfer a customer deposit to a new account or apply it to the
account balance owing on an existing account. The proposed rule also would provide that any
deposit or advance payment made to obtain utility services that is unclaimed for more than one
year after termination of service is presumed to be abandoned property. The proposed rule would
allow a public utility to forward abandoned deposits or advanced payment to a fmancial
assistance program certified by the Public Utilities Commission. Section 14-508, Idaho Code
(unclaimed property law) provides that a financial assistance program "is an entity which assists
a utility's low-income and disadvantaged customers with payment of utility bills.
The second set of proposed rules relates to telephone customer service. The proposed rules
address customer deposits or advance payments to obtain telephone services. A new rule 111 is
being proposed which implements Section 14-508, Idaho Code, like the first det of rules did and
states that any deposit or advance payment made to obtain utility service that is unclaimed for
more than one year after termination of service is presumed to be abandoned property. The new
rule would allow a telephone corporation to forward abandoned deposits or advance payments to
financial assistance programs that assist low income and disadvantaged customers with paying
their telephone bills. Also Rule 308 is proposed to be amended to revise the procedures for
Mike Nugent, Supervisor
Research & Legislation
mnugent(fglso.state, id. us
Jeff Youtz, Supervisor
Budget & Policy Analysis
jyoutz(fgIso .state. id. us
Ray Ineck, Supervisor
Legislative Audits
rineck(fglso.statej d. us
Glenn Harris, Supervisor
Network Administration
gharris(fglso.state. ide us
rvi.nq tt a fw lJ Citizen (-fUjilJ fa fure,
issuing and obtaining a medical certificate. In instances of a customer s or family member
serious illness or medical emergency, a certificate may postpone termination of telephoneservice. Finally the Commission is proposed to be amended to adopt the latest version of
slamming regulations adopted by Federal Communications Commission. "Slamming" is theunauthorized change of a customer s selected provider of local or long-distance telephone service.
" It appears that both sets of proposed rules have been promulgated within the scope of statutoryauthority granted to the Public Utilities Commission.
cc: Public Utilities Commission