2022 -- H 7844

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LC005244

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- DUTIES OF UTILITIES AND

CARRIERS

     

     Introduced By: Representative Susan R. Donovan

     Date Introduced: March 04, 2022

     Referred To: House Corporations

     (Division of Public Utilities and Carriers)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 39-2-8 of the General Laws in Chapter 39-2 entitled "Duties of

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Utilities and Carriers" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     39-2-8. Penalty for violations.

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     Any public utility which shall violate any provision of chapters 1 -- 5 of this title, or shall

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do any act herein prohibited, or shall fail or refuse to perform any duty enjoined upon it for which

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a penalty has not been provided, shall be subject to a penalty of not less than two hundred dollars

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($200) one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) twenty-five

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thousand dollars ($25,000), and in the case of a continuing violation of any of the provisions of the

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chapters, every day's continuance thereof shall be deemed to be a separate and distinct offense.

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     SECTION 2. Section 39-4-22 of the General Laws in Chapter 39-4 entitled "Hearings and

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Investigations" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     39-4-22. Penalties for violations.

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     Every public utility or water supplier pursuant to chapter 15.4 of title 46 [repealed], and all

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officers and agents thereof, shall obey, observe, and comply with every order of the division made

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under the authority of chapters 1 -- 5 of this title as long as the order shall be and remain in force.

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Every public utility or water supplier that shall violate any of the provisions of the chapters or that

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fails, omits, or neglects to obey, observe, or comply with any order of the division, shall be subject

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to a penalty of not less than two hundred dollars ($200) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000)

 

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for each and every offense. Every violation of the order shall be a separate and distinct offense and,

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in case of a continuing violation, every day's continuance thereof shall be, and be deemed to be, a

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separate and distinct offense.

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     (a) Every officer, agent, or employee of a public utility or water supplier who shall violate

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fail to obey, observe, and comply with any of the provisions of the chapters 1 through 5 of this title

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or any division rule, regulation, or order, or who procures, aids, or abets any violation by any public

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utility or water supplier, or who shall fail to obey, observe, or comply with any order of the division,

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or any provision of an order of the division, or who procures, aids, or abets any public utility or

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water supplier in its failure to obey, observe, or comply with any order or provision, shall be guilty

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of a misdemeanor and shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars ($100) nor more than five

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hundred dollars ($500) one thousand dollars ($1,000). In construing and enforcing the provisions

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of this section, the act, omission, or failure of any officer, agent, or other person acting for or

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employed by any public utility or water supplier, acting within the scope of his or her employment,

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shall in every case be deemed to be also the act, omission, or failure of the public utility or water

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supplier.

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     (b) The administrator may, in his or her discretion, in lieu of seeking criminal sanctions

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provided in subsection (a) of this section, impose upon each public utility an administrative civil

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penalty ("fine") for the failure to obey, observe, and comply with any of the provisions of chapters

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1 through 5 of this title, or division rule, regulation or order.

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     (1) Any public utility determined by the division to have failed to reasonably comply with

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any provision of chapters 1 through 5 of this title, or division rule, regulation or order, shall forfeit

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a sum not exceeding twenty-five thousand ($25,000) constituting a civil penalty for each and every

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offense and, in the case of a continuing violation, each day shall be deemed a separate and distinct

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offense.

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     (2) Any payment made by a public utility as a result of an assessment as provided in this

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section, and the cost of litigation and investigation related to any such assessment, shall not be

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recoverable from ratepayers. All monies recovered pursuant to subsection (b) of this section,

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together with the costs thereof, shall be remitted to, or for the benefit of, the ratepayers in a manner

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to be determined by the division.

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     (3) In construing and enforcing the provisions of this section relating to penalties, the act

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of any director, officer, agent or employee of a public utility acting within the scope of his or her

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official duties or employment shall be deemed to be the act of such public utility.

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     (4) The penalties provided by this section are in addition to any other penalties or remedies

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provided in law.

 

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- DUTIES OF UTILITIES AND

CARRIERS

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     This act would increase penalties for violations of the duties of the utilities and carriers

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chapter.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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