HOUSE BILL NO. 404

INTRODUCED BY B. THOMAS

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR THE ACTIVITIES OF THE TRANSITION ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON ELECTRIC UTILITY INDUSTRY RESTRUCTURING; AMENDING SECTION 45, CHAPTER 505, LAWS OF 1997; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE."

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

NEW SECTION. Section 1. Transition advisory committee on electric utility industry restructuring appropriation. (1) The legislative services division may accept gifts, grants, or other donations for the purpose of offsetting the costs of conducting the activities of the transition advisory committee under 69-8-501.

(2) A gift, grant, or other donation made by a public utility, as defined in 69-8-103(17), is a cost that is nonrecoverable from ratepayers and must be borne 100% by the shareholders of the company making the gift, grant, or donation.

(3) The legislative services division is appropriated up to $100,000 of any gifts, grants, or other donations received under this section, and the appropriation is a biennial appropriation.

(4) If the amount of gifts, grants, or donations exceeds the amount appropriated under subsection (3), the excess must be refunded to the donors in the ratio of their respective gift, grant, or donation to the total gifts, grants, and donations received.

(5) If the amount of the gifts, grants, and donations expended for conducting the activities of the transition advisory committee under 69-8-501 is less than the amount received as gifts, grants, and donations, the excess must be carried forward and is reappropriated for use of the transition advisory committee in the succeeding biennium.

Section 2. Section 45, Chapter 505, Laws of 1997, is amended to read:

"Section 45. Appropriation. (1) The legislative services division may accept gifts, grants, or other donations for the purpose of offsetting the costs of conducting the activities of the transition advisory committee under [section 29] or the study required in [section 30].

(2) A gift, grant, or other donation made by a public utility, as defined in 69-3-101(1)(a), (1)(c), or (1)(d), is a cost that is nonrecoverable from ratepayers and must be borne 100% by the shareholders of the company making the gift, grant, or donation.

(3) The legislative services division is appropriated up to $200,000 of any gifts, grants, or other donations received under this section, and the appropriation is a biennial appropriation.

(4) If the amount of gifts, grants, or donations exceeds the amount appropriated under subsection (3), the excess must be refunded to the donors in the ratio of their respective gift, grant, or donation to the total gifts, grants, and donations received.

(5) If the amount of the gifts, grants, and donations expended for conducting the activities of the transition advisory committee under [section 29] or the study required in [section 30] is less than the amount received as gifts, grants, or donations, the excess must be carried forward and is reappropriated for use of the transition advisory committee in the succeeding biennium."

NEW SECTION. Section 3. Effective date. [This act] is effective July 1, 1999.

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