Amendment_Report_for

Senate Amendments to House Bill No. 767

TO THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE:

THIS IS TO INFORM YOU THAT THE SENATE HAS ADOPTED THE AMENDMENTS SET OUT BELOW:

AMENDMENT NO. 1

AMEND on line 16 by inserting "and amended" after "reenacted"

FURTHER, AMEND by inserting the following paragraph after line 107:

(e) Conduct or cause to be conducted an evaluation of the need for a review and hearing before the Public Service Commission on billing, rate and service disputes between a customer and a water district lying within the three (3) coastal counties affected by Hurricane Katrina in addition to the voluntary arbitration process provided under Sections 19-5-177 and 77-3-6.

FURTHER, AMEND by inserting the following section after line 157 and renumbering succeeding sections accordingly:

SECTION *. (1) In addition to the voluntary review and arbitration of billing, rate and service disputes between a water district and a customer by the Public Service Commission as provided under Sections 19-5-177 and 77-3-6, a customer may petition the Public Service Commission to investigate, review and hold a hearing on billing, rate and service disputes between the customer and a water district as provided in this section.

(2) If a customer files a petition with the Public Service Commission, the commission shall investigate, review and hold a hearing on the dispute if the following conditions are met:

(a) The water district was formed under Section 19-5-151 et seq.;

(b) The water district had over four thousand (4,000) water connections at the time of the dispute;

(d) The water district lies within the three (3) coastal counties affected by Hurricane Katrina.

(3) If the Public Service Commission determines that the rates, charges or fees to be unjust, unreasonable or unreasonably discriminatory, the rates, charges or fees shall be set aside and the commission shall determine and fix such rates, charges or fees as provided under Section 77-3-39.

Further, amend the title on line 5, after the semicolon, by inserting the following:

TO AMEND SECTION 51-3-103, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE THE WATER RESOURCES ADVISORY COUNCIL TO CONDUCT CERTAIN STUDIES; TO PROVIDE THAT THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION SHALL REVIEW CERTAIN DISPUTES BETWEEN CUSTOMERS AND CERTAIN WATER DISTRICTS LYING WITHIN THE THREE COASTAL COUNTIES AFFECTED BY HURRICANE KATRINA;