HOUSE 3rd Reading Unamended May 1, 2015 HOUSE Amended 2nd Reading April 30, 2015First Regular Session Seventieth General Assembly STATE OF COLORADO REENGROSSED This Version Includes All Amendments Adopted in the House of Introduction LLS NO. 15-0626.01 Duane Gall x4335 HOUSE BILL 15-1319 HOUSE SPONSORSHIP Esgar, Tyler, Duran, Melton, Moreno, Salazar, Singer, Vigil, Williams SENATE SPONSORSHIP Garcia, House Committees Senate Committees Transportation & Energy Finance Appropriations A BILL FOR AN ACT Concerning an increase in the diversity of interests represented in proceedings before the Colorado public utilities commission, and, in connection therewith, increasing the number of commissioners, establishing geographic regions from which certain commissioners are appointed, and making an appropriation. Bill Summary (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at http://www.leg.state.co.us/billsummaries.) The bill increases the membership of the public utilities commission from 3 to 5, with 2 of the commissioners representing the state at large and 3 representing one district each. The districts are defined to include named counties, consisting roughly of the western slope, the northeastern quadrant of the state, and the southeastern quadrant of the state. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado: SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 40-2-101, amend (1) and (2) as follows: 40-2-101. Creation - appointment - term - subject to termination - repeal of article. (1) (a) A public utilities commission is hereby created, which shall be known as the public utilities commission of the state of Colorado, to consist of three members who shall be appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate; except that, on and after July 1, 2016, the commission consists of five members appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate. Persons holding office on July 1, 1993 2015, shall continue to serve in such office, but the term of one of these persons shall expire on the Monday preceding the second Tuesday of January 1995 2016 of another, the Monday preceding the second Tuesday of January 1996 2017 and of the third, the Monday preceding the second Tuesday of January 1997 2019, all as the governor shall designate; except that such designation shall not result in the extension of the term of any member to more than four years' duration. Thereafter, appointments shall be made for terms of four years; except that the initial term of one of the two members appointed to serve beginning July 1, 2016, is three years. (b) Effective July 1, 2016, three of the five commissioners shall be designated to represent identified geographic regions of the state. The regions, each to be represented by one of the three commissioners so designated, are as follows: (I) Region 1, consisting of the counties of Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas, Jefferson, Park, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Boulder, Broomfield, Larimer, Jackson, Weld, Logan, Sedgwick, Phillips, Yuma, Washington, Morgan, Kit Carson, Lincoln, and Elbert; (II) Region 2, consisting of the counties of Chaffee, Fremont, Custer, Pueblo, Teller, El Paso, Crowley, Otero, Bent, Kiowa, Cheyenne, Prowers, Baca, Las Animas, Costilla, Huerfano, Alamosa, Conejos, Rio Grande, Mineral, and Saguache; and (III) Region 3, consisting of the counties of Archuleta, Hinsdale, Gunnison, Pitkin, Lake, Eagle, Summit, Grand, Routt, Moffat, Rio Blanco, Garfield, Mesa, Delta, Montrose, Ouray, San Juan, La Plata, Montezuma, Dolores, and San Miguel. (2) No more than two three members of the public utilities commission shall be affiliated with the same political party, and any appointment to fill a vacancy shall be for the unexpired term. Each commissioner shall be a qualified elector of this state. The governor shall designate one member of the commission as chair of the commission. The commissioners shall devote their entire time to the duties of their office to the exclusion of any other employment and shall receive such compensation as is designated by law. A majority of the commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of its business. SECTION 2. Appropriation. For the 2015-16 state fiscal year, $75,000 is appropriated to the department of regulatory agencies for use by the public utilities commission. This appropriation is from the public utilities commission fixed utilities fund created in section 40-2-114, C.R.S. To implement this act, the commission may use this appropriation for operating expenses. SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August 5, 2015, if adjournment sine die is on May 6, 2015); except that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in November 2016 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.