1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to utilities; modifying low-income electric 
  1.3             rate discount program; amending Minnesota Statutes 
  1.4             2002, section 216B.16, subdivision 14. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 216B.16, 
  1.7   subdivision 14, is amended to read: 
  1.8      Subd. 14.  [LOW-INCOME ELECTRIC RATE DISCOUNT.] A public 
  1.9   utility shall provide fund a low-income customer affordability 
  1.10  program in an amount based on a 50 percent electric rate 
  1.11  discount on the first 300 kilowatt hours consumed in a billing 
  1.12  period for a low-income residential customer customers of the 
  1.13  utility.  For the purposes of this subdivision, "low-income" 
  1.14  means describes a customer who is receiving assistance from the 
  1.15  federal low-income home energy assistance program.  The 
  1.16  affordability program must be designed to help participating 
  1.17  customers lower the percentage of income they devote to energy 
  1.18  bills, increase their payments, and lower costs associated with 
  1.19  collection activities on their accounts.  A portion of the 
  1.20  program funds must be used to assist eligible customers who are 
  1.21  disabled or senior citizens.  The portion of funds for customers 
  1.22  who are disabled or senior citizens must be at least 
  1.23  proportional to the percentage they represent of the eligible 
  1.24  customers.  For the purposes of this subdivision, "public 
  1.25  utility" includes only those public utilities with more than 
  2.1   200,000 residential electric service customers.  The commission 
  2.2   may issue orders necessary to implement, administer, and recover 
  2.3   the discount rate costs of the program on a timely basis.  
  2.4      Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.5      Section 1 is effective July 1, 2004.