[ Search ] [ Legislation ]
[ Home ] [ Back ] [ Bottom ]
| [ Introduced ] | [ Enrolled ] | [ House Amendment 001 ] |
| [ House Amendment 003 ] | [ Senate Amendment 001 ] |
91_SB1541eng SB1541 Engrossed LRB9110220JSgc 1 AN ACT to amend the Public Utilities Act by adding 2 Section 8-505.1. 3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 4 represented in the General Assembly: 5 Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by adding 6 Section 8-505.1 as follows: 7 (220 ILCS 5/8-505.1 new) 8 Sec. 8-505.1. Non-emergency vegetation management 9 activities. 10 (a) In conducting its non-emergency vegetation 11 management activities in incorporated municipalities an 12 electric public utility shall: 13 (1) Follow guidelines set forth by the 14 International Society of Arboriculture in effect January 15 1, 1999 and any applicable Occupational Safety and Health 16 Administration or American National Standards Institute 17 standards in effect January 1, 1999. 18 (2) Provide no fewer than 21 days notice to the 19 municipality prior to vegetation management activity 20 beginning in the municipality. Maps or a description of 21 the affected area shall be provided to the municipality. 22 Notification shall continue until the municipality 23 requests termination. Requests by the municipality to 24 terminate notifications shall be in writing. 25 (3) Notify affected customers within the 26 municipality no fewer than 7 days before the activity is 27 scheduled to begin. 28 (4) Provide notified customers with a toll-free 29 telephone number to call regarding the vegetation 30 management activities. 31 (b) A public utility shall not be required to comply SB1541 Engrossed -2- LRB9110220JSgc 1 with the requirements of subsections (a)(2), (a)(3), or 2 (a)(4) when (i) it is taking actions to restore reliable 3 service after interruptions of service; (ii) there is a 4 franchise, contract, or written agreement in effect prior to 5 January 1, 1999 between a public utility and a municipality 6 mandating specific vegetation management practices; or (iii) 7 there is a mutual agreement between a municipality and a 8 public utility to waive the requirements of all or part of 9 subsection (a). The Commission shall have sole authority to 10 investigate and issue complaints against the utility under 11 this Section. The provisions of this Section shall not in 12 any way diminish or replace other civil or administrative 13 remedies available to a customer or class of customers under 14 the Public Utilities Act. 15 (c) By July 1, 2001, the Commerce Commission shall 16 establish by rule statewide standards for vegetation 17 management practices performed by electric public utilities. 18 The standards shall be based upon the guidelines set forth by 19 the International Society of Arboriculture and any applicable 20 standards established by the Occupational Safety and Health 21 Administration and the American National Standards Institute. 22 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 23 becoming law.