1981-1982 Bill 3433: Relating to assessment of utility companies and expenses for the Public Service Commission

South Carolina General Assembly
104th Session, 1981-1982

Bill 3433

                    Current Status

Bill Number:               3433
Ratification Number:       390
Act Number                 331
Introducing Body:          House
Subject:                   Relating to assessment of utility
                           companies and expenses for the Public
                           Service Commission

View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A331, R390, H3433)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 58-3-100, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO ASSESSMENT OF UTILITY COMPANIES AND EXPENSES FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION; SECTION 58-5-940, RELATING TO ASSESSMENTS AGAINST GAS UTILITIES FOR EXPENSES OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION; AND SECTION 58-27-50, RELATING TO ASSESSMENTS OF ELECTRIC UTILITIES FOR EXPENSES OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION SHALL CERTIFY SUCH ASSESSMENTS TO THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL ON OR BEFORE AUGUST FIRST; TO AMEND SECTION 58-15-940, RELATING TO REPORTS OF RAILROADS TO THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION; AND SECTION 58-15-960, RELATING TO REPORTS BY THE RAILROAD COMPANY TO THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, SO AS TO DELETE THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL AS AN AGENCY TO WHICH SUCH REPORTS ARE SUBMITTED.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Expenses of Commission

Section 1. Section 58-3-100 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 58-3-100. The expenses of the Public Service Commission shall be borne by the several companies subject to its jurisdiction according to their gross income from operations in this State, such gross income to be proportionate to the number of miles operated in this State by transportation and transmission companies, to be apportioned by the Comptroller General. The Comptroller General shall, on or before the first day of October in each and every year, assess upon each of such companies its just proportion of such expenses in proportion to its gross income from the operation in this State in the current year ending on the thirtieth day of June preceding that on which the assessment is made. Such assessments shall be charged against such companies, respectively, under the order and direction of the Comptroller General, and be collected by the several county treasurers in the manner provided by law for the collection of taxes from such companies and shall be paid by the county treasurers as collected into the State Treasury in the manner as other taxes collected by them for the State.

The Public Service Commission shall certify to the Comptroller General annually on or before August first the amounts to be assessed, in the format approved by the Comptroller General."

Expenses defrayed by assessments

Section 2. Section 58-5-940 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 58-5-940. All lawful expenses and charges incurred by the Commission in the administration of this chapter and in performance of its duties thereunder shall be defrayed by assessments made by the Comptroller General against the gas utilities regulated thereunder and based upon the gross revenues collected by the gas utilities from their business done wholly within this State in the manner set out in Section 58-3-100 for other corporations; provided, however, the assessments against municipalities, gas authorities, public service districts or other political subdivisions of the State shall be applicable only to expenses and charges incurred in the administration and enforcement of the provisions of this article relating to gas safety requirements.

The Public Service Commission shall certify to the Comptroller General annually on or before August first the amounts to be assessed in the format approved by the Comptroller General."

Further

Section 3. Section 58-27-50 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 58-27-50. All expenses and charges incurred by the Commission in the administration of this chapter and in the performance of its duties thereunder shall be defrayed by assessments made by the Comptroller General against the electrical utilities regulated thereunder and based upon the gross revenues collected by such electrical utilities from their business done wholly within this State in the manner set out in Section 58-3-100 for other corporations.

The Public Service Commission shall certify to the Comptroller General annually on or before August first the amounts to be assessed in the format approved by the Comptroller General."

Fiscal year

Section 4. Section 58-15-940 of the 1976 Code is amended to read.

"Section 58-15-940. The fiscal year for which reports shall be made by railroad companies in the State to the Public Service Commission and other officers of the State shall terminate on the thirty-first day of December, so as to conform to the calendar year and to the fiscal year as fixed by the Interstate Commerce Commission of the United States."

Reports

Section 5. Section 58-15-950 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 58-15-950. All reports required by law to be made by railroad companies to the Public Service Commission or to other officers of the State at specified times and based upon the operations of such railroad companies for the fiscal year preceding such reports shall be made after the thirty-first day of December of every year."

Time effective

Section 6. This act shall take effect upon the approval by the Governor.