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 an affordability program for 
  1.10  low-income customers in an amount based on a 50 percent electric 
  1.11  rate discount on the first 300 kilowatt hours consumed in a 
  1.12  billing period for a low-income residential customer customers 
  1.13  of the utility.  For the purposes of this subdivision, 
  1.14  "low-income" means describes a customer who is receiving 
  1.15  assistance from the federal low-income home energy assistance 
  1.16  program.  The affordability program must be designed to target 
  1.17  participating customers with the lowest incomes and highest 
  1.18  energy costs in order to lower the percentage of income they 
  1.19  devote to energy bills, increase their payments, and lower costs 
  1.20  associated with collection activities on their accounts.  For 
  1.21  low-income customers who are 62 years of age or older or 
  1.22  disabled, the program must, in addition to any other program 
  1.23  benefits, include a 50 percent electric rate discount on the 
  1.24  first 300 kilowatt hours consumed in a billing period.  For the 
  1.25  purposes of this subdivision, "public utility" includes only 
  2.1   those public utilities with more than 200,000 residential 
  2.2   electric service customers.  The commission may issue orders 
  2.3   necessary to implement, administer, and recover the discount 
  2.4   rate costs of the program on a timely basis.  
  2.5      Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.6      Section 1 is effective July 1, 2004.