SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 57
WHEREAS, sustained investment in electric, natural gas, water sewer and heating utility infrastructure is vital to the economic vitality and well-being of the State of Missouri; and
WHEREAS, Missouri electric, natural gas, water sewer and heating utility companies compete with utility companies in other states for the capital necessary to sustain investment in utility infrastructure in Missouri; and
WHEREAS, Missouri electric, natural gas, water sewer and heating utility companies must achieve reasonable rates of return as compared to the rates of return achieved by utility companies in other states to ensure sustained investment in utility infrastructure in Missouri; and
WHEREAS, the utility regulatory process in Missouri, as it applies to electric, natural gas, water sewer and heating corporations, is governed primarily by Chapter 393, RSMo, which is largely unchanged since original enactment in 1913; and
WHEREAS, the potential for the deregulation of utilities in Missouri has received substantial legislative study in recent years, while the ongoing utility regulatory process and procedure has not enjoyed broad legislative evaluation; and
WHEREAS, the utility regulatory process must be periodically evaluated so as to promote the interests of fairness and balance among all constituencies, including consumers and shareholders of regulated utility companies, by addressing policy and practice advances in areas including, but not limited to, non-traditional regulatory rate plans, performance-based regulatory rate plans, incentive regulatory rate plans, capital recovery schedules, consistency of utility regulatory policy with generally accepted accounting principles, consistency of utility regulatory policy with financial accounting standards, consistency of utility regulatory policy with generally accepted engineering principles, communication between and among participants in the regulatory process, time schedules for the initiation and conclusion of proceedings before utility regulatory agencies, the role, function and needs of the Public Service Commission, the role, function and needs of the Office of Public Counsel and the overall structure and cost of governmental utility regulatory agencies and the utility regulatory process:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the members of the Senate of the Ninety-first General Assembly, Second Regular Session, the House of Representatives concurring therein, hereby establish the Joint Legislative Committee on Utility Regulation and Infrastructure Investment; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that said Committee be composed of five members of the Senate, to be appointed by the President Pro Tem and five members of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that said Committee conduct in-depth studies and make appropriate recommendations concerning: how the utility regulatory process and the results thereof in Missouri in regard to electric, natural gas, water sewer and heating utility companies compare to the utility regulatory process and the results thereof in other states; and how the utility regulatory process in Missouri in regard to electric, natural gas, water sewer and heating utility companies can, or should, be modernized to be more efficient and effective, ensure sustained investment in utility infrastructure and promote the interests of fairness and balance among all constituencies, including consumers and shareholders of regulated utility companies; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that said Committee present a final report, together with its recommendations for any legislative action it deems necessary for submission to the General Assembly prior to the commencement of the First Regular Session of the Ninety-second General Assembly; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that said Committee may solicit any input and information necessary to fulfill its obligations from the Missouri Public Service Commission, the Department of Economic Development, the Office of Public Counsel, political subdivisions of this state, energy utilities, water utilities, heating corporations and representatives of energy and water customer groups; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that House Research, the Committee on Legislative Research and Senate Research shall provide such legal, research, clerical, technical and bill drafting services as the committee may require in the performance of its duties; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the actual and necessary expenses of the Committee, its members and any staff personnel assigned to the Committee incurred in attending meetings of the Committee or any subcommittee thereof shall be paid from the Joint Contingent Fund.