HF 2798

1st Committee Engrossment - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010)

Posted on 03/19/2013 07:29 p.m.

1.1A bill for an act 1.2relating to public utilities; requiring disclosure of public utility's travel, 1.3entertainment, and related expenses included in rate change request;amending 1.4Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 216B.16, by adding a subdivision. 1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 1.6    Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 216B.16, is amended by adding a 1.7subdivision to read: 1.8     new text begin Subd. 17. new text end new text begin Travel, entertainment, and related employee expenses. new text end new text begin (a) The new text end 1.9 new text begin commission may not allow as operating expenses a public utility's travel, entertainment, new text end 1.10 new text begin and related employee expenses that the commission deems unreasonable and unnecessary new text end 1.11 new text begin for the provision of utility service. In order to assist the commission in evaluating the new text end 1.12 new text begin travel, entertainment, and related employee expenses that may be allowed for ratemaking new text end 1.13 new text begin purposes, a public utility filing a general rate case petition shall include a schedule new text end 1.14 new text begin separately itemizing all travel, entertainment, and related employee expenses as specified new text end 1.15 new text begin by the commission, including but not limited to the following categories: new text end 1.16 new text begin (1) travel and lodging expenses; new text end 1.17 new text begin (2) food and beverage expenses; new text end 1.18 new text begin (3) recreational and entertainment expenses; new text end 1.19 new text begin (4) board of director-related expenses, including and separately itemizing all new text end 1.20 new text begin compensation and expense reimbursements; new text end 1.21 new text begin (5) expenses for the ten highest paid officers and employees, including and new text end 1.22 new text begin separately itemizing all compensation and expense reimbursements; new text end 1.23 new text begin (6) dues and expenses for memberships in organizations or clubs; new text end 1.24 new text begin (7) gift expenses; new text end 2.1 new text begin (8) expenses related to owned, leased, or chartered aircraft; and new text end 2.2 new text begin (9) lobbying expenses. new text end 2.3 new text begin (b) To comply with the requirements of paragraph (a), each applicable expense new text end 2.4 new text begin incurred in the two most recent fiscal years must be itemized separately, and each new text end 2.5 new text begin itemization must include the date of the expense, the amount of the expense, the vendor new text end 2.6 new text begin name, and the business purpose of the expense. The petitioning utility shall also provide new text end 2.7 new text begin a one-page summary of the total amounts for each expense category included in the new text end 2.8 new text begin petitioning utility's proposed test year. new text end 2.9 new text begin (c) All travel, entertainment, and related employee expenses provided by a public new text end 2.10 new text begin utility for ratemaking purposes as set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) are to be construed as new text end 2.11 new text begin public data that does not meet the definition of nonpublic data or trade secret information new text end 2.12 new text begin under section 13.37, nor is it privileged data under rules of privilege recognized by law. new text end