FINAL BILL REPORT

SB 5022

                              C 107 L 89

BYSenators Benitz and Williams; by request of Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission

Modifying utilities and transportation commission reporting requirements.

Senate Committee on Energy & Utilities

House Committe on Energy & Utilities

SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

BACKGROUND:

Public service companies in Washington are required to report detailed financial, operational and contractual information to the Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) annually within three months of year's end.  Because this falls before the tax deadline, most firms routinely miss the filing.  The commission wishes to specify the filing date by rule so that a realistic deadline may be established.

Public service companies are also required to submit an annual budget to the commission for review.  The current exemption level (less than $25,000 gross revenues) was set in 1961 and because of inflation has been rendered meaningless.  In addition, some utilities, such as competitive telecommunications, may not require the same level of budget scrutiny as other utilities.  The commission is seeking rulemaking authority to set guidelines for exempting utilities in whole or in part from budget filing requirements.

SUMMARY:

RCW 80.04.080 and RCW 81.04.080 are each amended to allow the commission to specify annual report filing deadlines by rule.  RCW 80.04.320 is amended to allow the commission to prescribe, by rule, criteria to exempt utilities from budget filing requirements.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

     Senate   45    0

     House 96  0

EFFECTIVE:July 23, 1989