Utility Regulation
Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Public Service Commission - Taxicab Services - Contract With Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners [HB-537]
Prohibiting a taxicab business from charging more than a specified administrative rate when the taxicab business enters into a contract with the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners to transport a passenger who is a student.
Sponsored by: Sen. Barbara Robinson
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters on 03/18/2015
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Gettr Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Gas and Electricity - Smart Meters - Customer Rights and Required Reports [HB-516]
Requiring a utility company to give specified written notice to specified customers prior to deploying smart meters throughout all or a portion of the utility company's service territory; prohibiting a utility company from imposing any additional fee or charge on a specified customer who refuses installation of a smart meter or requests removal of a smart meter; requiring the Public Service Commission and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to make specified reports regarding smart meters; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. William Smith
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters on 04/03/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Gas and Electricity - Analog Meters - Purchase and Installation [HB-508]
Requiring the Public Service Commission to authorize a customer of a gas company or an electric company to purchase and install an analog meter; requiring the meter to comply with specified standards; requiring a gas company or electric company to install the meter or allow specified persons to install the meter at the customer's request; providing that an analog meter may replace a different type of meter; prohibiting a gas company or an electric company from requiring the customer to install additional controls; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. William Smith
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters on 04/03/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Telephone Companies - Streamlined Regulatory Requirements [HB-472]
Narrowing the types of services of a telephone company that are regulated by the Public Service Commission by altering a specified definition; providing that the Commission may allow a specified telephone company to provide a regulated service without requiring the telephone company to file a specified tariff schedule if the Commission finds that it is in the public interest; providing that specified transactions do not require specified prior authorization from the Commission; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Sally Jameson
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 250 on 05/12/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Public Utilities - Electricity - Construction of Overhead Transmission Lines [HB-469]
Altering the scope of persons who may apply to begin construction of a new overhead transmission line for electricity under specified circumstances to include an electric company or a person who is or will be subject to regulation as a public utility by an officer or an agency of the United States; prohibiting the Public Service Commission from issuing a certificate of public convenience and necessity for the construction of a specified overhead transmission line to an applicant other than an electric company under specified circumstances; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Talmadge Branch
Vetoed By The Governor (duplicative) on 05/12/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Public Utilities - Telephone Service - Battery for Backup Power [HB-453]
Requiring a telephone company to provide a specified battery that provides backup power for basic telephone service on a specified network to a customer free of charge; and requiring a telephone company to provide a specified replacement battery to a customer free of charge under specified circumstances.
Sponsored by: Rep. Eric Luedtke
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters on 03/13/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard - Qualifying Biomass [HB-378]
Limiting the eligibility of qualifying biomass as a Tier 1 renewable source for the purposes of the renewable energy portfolio standard to qualifying biomass used at a generation unit that started commercial operation on or after January 1, 2005, and that achieves a total system efficiency of 65% or more; defining specified terms; altering specified terms; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Karen Lewis Young
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters; Withdrawn on 02/23/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard - Revisions (Maryland Clean Energy Advancement Act of 2015) [HB-377]
Altering the minimum required percentage of energy that must be derived from Tier 1 renewable sources in the State's renewable energy portfolio standard in specified years; altering the minimum required percentage of Tier 1 renewable energy that must be derived from solar energy in the State's renewable energy portfolio standard in specified years; establishing renewable energy portfolio standards for 2018 to 2025; applying the Act prospectively; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Barbara Robinson
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters; Withdrawn on 04/13/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Electric Companies - Vegetation Management - Local Law, Rule, or Regulation [HB-376]
Repealing a prohibition against a county or municipal corporation taking specified actions that interfere with, or materially increase costs of the work of an electric company toward, compliance with specified vegetation management standards.
Sponsored by: Sen. William Smith
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters on 03/13/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Public Service Commission - Hearing Examiners - Change of Job Title [HB-35]
Changing the job title of "hearing examiners" of the Public Service Commission to "public utility law judges".
Sponsored by: Rep. Charles Barkley
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 217 on 05/12/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Underground Utility Damage Prevention - Connecting Buildings to Water Supply Systems and Sewerage Systems - Detectable Wires [HB-341]
Requiring that any new or replacement piping that is buried or installed for the purpose of connecting a building to a water supply system or sewerage system be buried or installed with an insulated copper tracer wire that is suitable for direct burial and has an American wire gauge (AWG) of at least 10, or an equivalent product that makes the piping detectable; providing for the prospective application of the Act; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Dereck Davis
Vetoed By The Governor (duplicative) on 05/12/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Public Service Commission - Restrictions After Service [HB-140]
Prohibiting an individual from receiving financial benefit, that is not otherwise generally available to the public as a customer of a public service company, from public service companies, persons, or entities until at least 1 year has passed after the individual left service with the Public Service Commission as a commissioner; applying the Act to an individual who serves as a commissioner of the Public Service Commission on or after January 1, 2015; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Dereck Davis
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 223 on 05/12/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Public Utilities - Transportation Network Services [HB-1231]
Authorizing the establishment of transportation network services in the State; authorizing an individual to submit an application for registration as a transportation network operator; requiring a transportation network company to conduct, or have a third party conduct, a specified criminal history records check using a specified database and obtain and review a driving record check for each applicant before approving an application for the applicant; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. William Smith
Hearing 4/13 At 9:45 A.m. on 04/13/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Public Utilities - Telecommunications Law - Modernization [HB-1166]
Providing that a telephone company is not required to file with the Public Service Commission a specified tariff schedule except under specified circumstances; limiting the types of services for which a telephone company may not establish a new rate under specified circumstances; allowing a telephone company to discontinue or abandon a specified service under specified circumstances; providing that a prior authorization is not required for specified transactions; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Dereck Davis
First Reading House Rules And Executive Nominations on 02/23/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Railroad Company - Movement of Freight - Required Crew [HB-1138]
Prohibiting a train or light engine used in connection with the movement of freight from operating in the State unless it has at least two crew members; providing for the application of the Act; establishing penalties of $500 for the first offense and $1,000 for a second offense and each subsequent offense committed within a period of 3 years of the second offense; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Dana Stein
First Reading House Rules And Executive Nominations on 02/19/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Electricity - Community Solar Energy Generating System Program [HB-1087]
Establishing a pilot program on community solar energy generating systems under the authority of the Public Service Commission; providing for the structure and operation of the program, including the generation of electricity and allocation of costs to subscribers to a community solar energy generating system; requiring the Public Service Commission to study specified matters and report its findings to specified committees of the General Assembly on or before July 1, 2019; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. C. William Frick
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 347 on 05/12/2015
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Maryland 2015 Regular Session
Public Service Commission - Membership - Selection and Term [HB-1067]
Specifying requirements for the nonpartisan election of a member of the Public Service Commission; specifying that specified party affiliation requirements do not apply to a candidate for a position on the Commission; specifying that specified nomination and election procedures apply to the nomination and election of specified members of the Public Service Commission, subject to specified exceptions; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Nathaniel Oaks
Unfavorable Report By Economic Matters; Withdrawn on 03/17/2015
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Maryland 2014 Regular Session
County and Municipal Street Lighting Investment Act [SB-979]
Proposing an amendment to the Maryland Constitution to authorize the General Assembly to provide that specified property consisting of street lighting equipment may be taken by a county or municipality for public use immediately on payment to the owner of the property of the amount that the county or municipality estimates to be the net book value of the property calculated in a specified manner; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Jamin Raskin
First Reading Senate Rules on 02/10/2014
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Maryland 2014 Regular Session
Evaluation of the Application of Minority Business Enterprise Program by the Public Service Commission - Data Collection and Termination Extension [SB-972]
Requiring the Department of Transportation, the Governor's Office of Minority Affairs, and the Public Service Commission to collect specified data regarding specified minority business enterprise participation with specified electricity suppliers from specified electricity suppliers that have entered into a specified memorandum of understanding; altering the date by which specified persons must submit a specified report to the General Assembly; and altering the termination of a specified Act.
Sponsored by: Sen. Verna Jones-Rodwell
First Reading Senate Rules on 02/07/2014
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Maryland 2014 Regular Session
Public Utilities - Transportation Network Services - Establishment [SB-919]
Establishing an infrastructure to provide transportation network services; authorizing an individual to submit an application for registration as a transportation network operator; requiring a transportation network application company to approve or deny a specified application within 60 days after the application is submitted; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. William Ferguson
Hearing 3/04 At 1:00 P.m. on 03/04/2014