Water and sewer utilities; regulation. (HB611)

Introduced By

Del. Rob Bell (R-Charlottesville) with support from co-patron Del. Sam Rasoul (D-Roanoke)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Regulation of water and sewer utilities. Makes water and sewer companies subject to the rules of the State Corporation Commission (SCC) regarding meetings and communications between SCC commissioners and any party, or between commissioners and staff, concerning any fact or issue arising out of a proceeding involving the regulation of rates, charges, services, or facilities of a utility. The measure requires the SCC, when setting rates relating to the use of water or sewer systems, to set the rates for use by a group of customers served by common facilities in a contiguous geographic area on the basis of the costs of serving that group alone and without reference to the costs of serving any other group of customers. The measure eliminates the requirement that a public utility publish notice of a proposed rate increase in a newspaper and requires the public utility to send notice of a proposed rate increase electronically to customers who receive bills electronically. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Passed

History

DateAction
01/11/2016Committee
01/11/2016Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/13/16 16103611D
01/11/2016Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor
01/15/2016Impact statement from SCC (HB611)
01/19/2016Assigned to sub: Subcommittee #1
01/19/2016Assigned C & L sub: Subcommittee #1
01/26/2016Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (10-Y 0-N)
02/02/2016Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute (20-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/02/2016Committee substitute printed 16105081D-H1
02/04/2016Read first time
02/05/2016Read second time
02/05/2016Committee substitute agreed to 16105081D-H1
02/05/2016Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB611H1
02/08/2016Read third time and passed House (96-Y 0-N 2-A)
02/08/2016VOTE: PASSAGE (96-Y 0-N 2-A) (see vote tally)
02/09/2016Constitutional reading dispensed
02/09/2016Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor
02/14/2016Impact statement from SCC (HB611H1)
02/22/2016Reported from Commerce and Labor (14-Y 0-N 1-A) (see vote tally)
02/24/2016Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/25/2016Read third time
02/25/2016Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/29/2016Enrolled
02/29/2016Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB611ER)
02/29/2016Signed by Speaker
03/01/2016Impact statement from SCC (HB611ER)
03/03/2016Signed by President
03/04/2016Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on 3/4/16
03/04/2016G Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, March 11, 2016
03/07/2016G Approved by Governor-Chapter 283 (effective 7/1/16)
03/07/2016G Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0283)

Video

This bill was discussed on the floor of the General Assembly. Below is all of the video that we have of that discussion, 1 clip in all, totaling 1 minute.

Transcript

This is a transcript of the video clips in which this bill is discussed.



Del. Bill Howell (R-Fredericksburg): ARE THE SENATORS READY TO VOTE? HAVE ALL THE SENATORS VOTED? DO ANY SENATORS DESIRE TO CHANGE THEIR VOTE? THE CLERK WILL CLOSE THE ROLL.

[Unknown]: AYES 40, NOS 0. AYES 40, NOS 0. THE BILL PASSES. HOUSE BILL 611, A BILL RELATING TO THE REGULATION OF WATER AND SEWER UTILITIES. REPORTED FROM THE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE AND LABOR. THE SENIOR SENATOR FROM VIRGINIA BEACH. THANK YOU. MR. PRESIDENT. HOUSE BILL 611 MAKES THE WATER AND SEWER COMPANIES SUBJECT TO THE RULES OF THE STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION REGARDING ITS MEETINGS AND COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN SEC COMMISSIONERS AND ANY PARTY OR BETWEEN COMMISSIONERS AND THE PUBLIC. IT ALSO DEALS WITH HOW THE PUBLIC IS TO BE NOTIFIED WITH REGARDS TO RATE INCREASES AND WITH THAT EXPLANATION, I MOVE THE BILL PASS. THANK YOU, SENATOR. THE QUESTION IS SHALL HOUSE BILL 611 PASS. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION WILL RECORD THEIR VOTES AYE, THOSE ARE THE SENATORS READY TO VOTE? OPPOSED NO. HAVE ALL THE SENATORS VOTED? DO ANY SENATORS DESIRE TO CHANGE THEIR VOTE? THE CLERK WILL CLOSE THE ROLL. AYES 40, NOS 0. AYES 40, NOS 0. THE BILL PASSES.