S-4085.2  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6355

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington   57th Legislature        2002 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Water (originally sponsored by Senators Regala, Poulsen, Finkbeiner, Franklin, Morton, Deccio, Fraser and Kline)

READ FIRST TIME 02/08/2002.

Expanding request authority for approval of low-income discounts for electric or gas services.

    AN ACT Relating to expanding the authority to request the utilities and transportation commission to approve low-income discounts for electric or gas services; and amending RCW 80.28.068.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 80.28.068 and 1999 c 62 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    Upon request by an electrical or gas company, the commission may approve rates, charges, services, and/or physical facilities at a discount for low-income senior customers and low-income customers.  The attorney general may also file a request for such a discount program if the company does not have an existing program approved under this section.  Expenses and lost revenues as a result of these discounts shall be included in the company's cost of service and recovered in rates to other customers by means of a charge set forth in a separate schedule to the company's tariffs.  The filing of a request under this section shall not constitute a general rate increase filing as defined in WAC 480-09-310, nor shall it preclude any general complaint filing as provided for in this title.

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