H 2065 General Bill, By C.M. Dangerfield, R.L. Altman, W.S. Anderson, 
F.X. Archibald, W.D. Arthur, D.L. Aydlette, L.E. Bennett, D. Blackwell, 
J.D. Bradley, Branton, T.M. Burriss, M.J. Busbee, Carnell, R.L. Cobb, W.N. Cork, 
V.L. Crocker, T.J. Ervin, H.U. Fielding, H.C. Granger, Harvin, J.C. Hearn, 
B.L. Hendricks, H.H. Keyserling, Kirsh, Martin, D.M. McEachin, L. Phillips, 
I.K. Rudnick, D. Sheppard, J.J. Snow, Washington, M.H. Westbrook, Wilkins and 
D. Williams

Similar(S 16, H 2066)
 A Bill to amend the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, by adding Sections
 58-1-50 so as to provide for an independent management audit of all public
 utilities operating in this State at least once every three years, provide
 that the results of the audit, together with any exceptions to it by any
 utility, shall be filed with the Public Service Commission and be made
 available by the Commission for public inspection, and provide that the cost
 of the audit be borne by the utility; and 58-1-60 so as to prohibit any public
 utility from filing with the Commission more than once every twelve months any
 application or schedule which proposes any change in rates, tolls, rentals,
 charges, classifications, or regulations; to amend Subsection (E), Section 31,
 Part II, of Act 644 of 1978, relating to the Consumer Advocate's access to
 records of state agencies, so as to grant the Consumer Advocate the same
 access to the books and accounts of public utilities as the Public Service
 Commission has pursuant to Section 58-5-230 and provide that the examination
 of such books and accounts by the Consumer Advocate shall not first require an
 order of the Commission; to amend Sections 58-5-240, relating to filing
 schedules of proposed new rates by a "public utility", so as to provide that
 the "public utility" shall first provide the Commission with thirty days
 written notice of its intention to file an application, provide for the
 contents of the notice, including the total dollar impact of all proposed
 changes in rates, tolls, rentals, charges, classifications, or regulations,
 require the "public utility" to provide such notice to the general public by
 forwarding a press release to each newspaper of general circulation in its
 service area, provide for the filing of a written application setting forth a
 list of each proposed change in rates, tolls, rentals, charges,
 classifications, or regulations accompanied by the total dollar impact of the
 proposed changes, provide that the application include other financial data
 sufficient to evaluate the merits of the proposed changes, as well as
 exhibits, other schedules, and any other evidence or data necessary to support
 the proposed changes, provide that the application and supporting information
 be made available by the Commission for public inspection, require the public
 utility to inform the general public of the proposed changes by providing a
 copy of the application and supporting information to each newspaper of
 general circulation in its service area, provide that the Commission shall
 enter upon a hearing concerning the lawfulness or reasonableness of the
 proposed changes, prohibit a public utility from placing into effect any new
 rates, tolls, rentals, charges, classifications, or regulations prior to a
 decision by the Commission, provide that a public utility shall place into
 effect new rates, tolls, rentals, or charges within thirty days of the filing
 of an application for a decrease in rates, tolls, rentals, or charges, require
 the Commission to issue its written order approving or disapproving either in
 whole or in part the proposed changes contained in the application within one
 hundred eighty days of the date of receiving the application and supporting
 information, provide that a failure of the Commission to issue a written order
 within the required period shall be deemed a disapproval by the Commission of
 all of the proposed changes, require that an attested copy of an order of the
 Commission issued pursuant to this Section be served on the public utility or
 any other interested party by registered mail or otherwise as provided by law,
 and provide that any new rate, toll, rental, charge, classification, or
 regulation approved by the Commission by written order shall become effective
 sixty days after the date of the Commission's order approving it or sixty days
 after the final appeals process concerning the order has been completed if a
 rehearing of the order is requested and granted or if court review of the
 order is requested upon a rehearing being denied; 58-5-260, relating to a
 "public utility" and notice by publication of the filing of a new or changed
 schedule, so as to provide that within ten days after the filing of an
 application with supporting information by a "public utility" pursuant to
 Section 58-5-240, the Commission shall give general notice thereof by
 publication; 58-5-340, relating to "public utilities" and court review of
 orders or decisions, so as to delete the provisions that a copy of the
 complaint be served with the summons and that no order of the Commission
 reducing any rate, fare, charge, or toll shall be in force during the pendency
 of the action provided for in this Section if the utility affected shall
 execute and file with the Clerk of Court a bond and to provide that the
 pendency of such proceedings before the Court shall stay or suspend the
 operation of the order of the Commission; 58-9-510, relating to change in
 telephone rates initiated by the Commission or by complaint, so as to provide
 that new rates established pursuant to this Section shall take effect sixty
 days after the Commission fixes them by order or sixty days after the final
 appeals process concerning the order has been completed if the rehearing of
 the order is requested and granted or if court review of the order is
 requested upon a rehearing being denied; 58-9-520, relating to change in
 telephone rates initiated by a telephone utility and notice, so as to provide
 for the same procedure and requirements prescribed for "public utilities"
 under Section 58-5-240 and, additionally, provide that with respect to the
 giving of notice of intent to file an application, a telephone utility shall
 give such notice of proposed changes to other interested parties as the
 Commission in its discretion may direct; 58-9-530, relating to telephone
 utilities and dispensing with the thirty days notice of rate change, so as to
 provide that within ten days after the filing of an application with
 supporting information by a telephone utility as provided for in Section
 58-9-520, the Commission shall give general notice thereof by publication;
 58-9-560, relating to telephone utilities, the burden of proof at hearing, and
 determination by the Commission, so as to delete the reference to Section
 58-9-550 and provide instead that no change in rates shall become effective
 except as provided by Article 5 of Chapter 9 of Title 58; 58-9-1070, relating
 to the production of books and other records by telephone utilities, so as to
 provide that the Consumer Advocate shall have the same access to the books,
 accounts, papers, or records of telephone utilities as provided to the
 Commission, provide that the written directive of the Consumer Advocate
 directing the production of such books, accounts, papers, or records may be
 made personally or by mail, and provide that the Consumer Advocate shall not
 be first required to obtain an order of the Commission or the authority of the
 Commission for such access; 58-9-1430, relating to telephone utilities and a
 stay or the suspension of the Commission's order pending review, so as to
 provide that the pendency of proceedings to review shall stay or suspend the
 operation of the order of the Commission; 58-9-1470, relating to telephone
 utilities and appeal to the Supreme Court, so as to provide that any party to
 an action in the Court of Common Pleas may appeal to the Supreme Court in
 accordance with existing law and procedure in such cases; 58-27-850, relating
 to electrical utilities and investigation and change of existing rates by the
 Commission, so as to provide that the new rates established under this Section
 shall take effect sixty days after the Commission fixes them by order or sixty
 days after the final appeals process concerning the order has been completed
 if the rehearing of the order is requested and granted or if court review of
 the order is requested upon a rehearing being denied; 58-27-860, relating to
 electrical utilities and the prohibition against the changing of rates until
 after notice is given, so as to provide for the same procedure and
 requirements prescribed for "public utilities" under Section 58-5-240, provide
 additionally that with respect to the giving of notice of intent to file an
 application, the electrical utility shall give such notice of proposed changes
 to other interested parties as the Commission in its discretion may direct,
 and provide further that within ten days after the filing of an application
 with supporting information by an electrical utility as provided for in this
 Section, the Commission shall give general notice thereof by publication;
 58-27-920, relating to electrical utilities and the authority of the
 Commission to require new rates after preliminary investigation, so as to
 provide that the Commission on its own initiative may, after a preliminary
 investigation and upon evidence as to it shall seem sufficient, order any
 electrical utility to put into effect a schedule of rates deemed fair and
 reasonable, provide for service of an attested copy of the order, provide that
 the rates so established shall take effect sixty days after the Commission
 fixes them by order or sixty days after the final appeals process concerning
 the order has been completed if a rehearing of the order is requested and
 granted or if court review of the order is requested upon a rehearing being
 denied, and provide that any member of the public adversely affected by any
 such order shall also have all the rights conferred in this Section on the
 electrical utility affected; 58-27-1040, relating to the provision that
 Sections of Chapter 27 of Title 58 are cumulative, so as to provide that
 nothing contained in Article 7 of Chapter 27 of Title 58 shall be construed to
 divest the Commission of any power otherwise possessed by it to regulate
 electrical utilities, provide that the duties and powers thereby devolved upon
 the Commission are in addition to those otherwise imposed by law, and delete
 reference to Sections 58-27-920 to 58-27-950; 58-27-1570, relating to the
 provisions that the Commission may require the production of the books and
 records of electrical utilities for examination, so as to provide that the
 Consumer Advocate shall have the same access to the books, accounts, papers,
 or records of electrical utilities as provided to the Commission by this
 Section, provide that the Consumer Advocate shall not be first required to
 obtain an order of the Commission or the authority of the Commission for such
 access, and provide that the written directive of the Consumer Advocate
 directing the production of such books, accounts, papers, or records may be
 made personally or by mail; 58-27-2320, relating to electrical utilities and a
 stay or the suspension of the Commission's order pending review, so as to
 provide that the pendency of proceedings to review shall stay or suspend the
 operation of the order of the Commission; and to repeal Sections 58-1-30,
 relating to bond required of utilities appealing from rate decisions;
 58-5-250, relating to "public utilities", suspension of schedule, giving bond
 to put schedule into effect, and interest on disallowed increases; 58-9-540,
 relating to telephone utilities, hearing on new schedule of rates, and
 suspension of new rates pending hearing; 58-9-550, relating to telephone
 utilities, the provisions that new rates may be put into effect despite
 suspension upon the filing of bond, and interest on disallowed increases;
 58-9-580, relating to telephone utilities and suit to recover excessive
 payments which have not been refunded; 58-27-870, relating to electrical
 utilities, hearing on proposed changes in rates, and suspension of new rates
 pending hearing; 58-27-880, relating to electrical utilities, the provisions
 that suspended rates may be made effective by giving bond, and interest on
 disallowed increases; 58-27-890, relating to electrical utilities and records
 of payments during the period of suspension; 58-27-900, relating to electrical
 utilities and the provisions that the Commission shall determine rates if it
 finds present rates unjust; 58-27-910, relating to electrical utilities and
 suits for refunds if rates are disapproved; 58-27-930, relating to electrical
 utilities, petition for hearing on change in rates by the Commission, and
 suspension of new rates pending hearing; 58-27-940, relating to electrical
 utilities, order of the Commission after hearing, and refunds; and 58-27-950,
 relating to electrical utilities and the provision that no cause of action
 shall arise on the original order of the Commission unless a petition for a
 hearing is filed.
   12/06/82  House  Prefiled
   12/06/82  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary
   01/11/83  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-193
   01/11/83  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-199
   03/17/83  House  Tabled in committee