Public Act 276 of 2011

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• Introduced by Rep. Kenneth Horn (R) on November 30, 2011, to prohibit utilities from charging customers extra to pay the delinquent bills of low income households, which had been authorized in a provision of an earlier statute that was later repealed. Money the utilities have already collected for this would be returned to customers. House Bill 5189 appropriates federal welfare money for the same purpose.
  • Referred to the House Energy and Technology Committee on November 30, 2011.
    • Reported in the House on December 6, 2011, with the recommendation that the substitute (H-1) be adopted and that the bill then pass.
  • Substitute offered in the House on December 7, 2011. The substitute passed by voice vote in the House on December 7, 2011.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Jeff Irwin (D) on December 7, 2011, to authorize payment of state subsidies to certain energy efficiency projects that had been previously approved. The amendment failed by voice vote in the House on December 7, 2011.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Kenneth Horn (R) on December 7, 2011, to clarify details of how refunds will be allocated to customers from whom utility surcharges were collected after authority to do so was repealed. The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on December 7, 2011.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Kenneth Horn (R) on December 7, 2011, to clarify that the bill applies to natural gas and electric utilities. The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on December 7, 2011.
• Passed 62 to 46 in the House on December 7, 2011, to prohibit utilities from charging customers extra to pay the delinquent bills of low income households, which had been authorized in a provision of an earlier statute that was later repealed. Money the utilities have already collected for this would be returned to customers. House Bill 5189 appropriates $62 million in federal welfare money for the same purpose.
  Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
• Received in the Senate on December 8, 2011.
  • Substitute offered in the Senate on December 15, 2011, to replace the previous version of the bill with one that makes it part of a House-Senate compromise to extend the surcharge for a limited time and also use other state tax revenue to pay these subsidies. The substitute passed by voice vote in the Senate on December 15, 2011.
• Passed 36 to 1 in the Senate on December 15, 2011, to prohibit utilities from charging customers extra to pay the delinquent bills of low income households, but only starting nine months after the bill becomes law. The surcharge had been authorized in a provision of an earlier statute that was later repealed. Money the utilities have already collected for this would be returned to customers. The final version of this bill, plus Senate Bill 364 and 864, include different parts of a House-Senate compromise to extend the surcharge as described, plus add $10 million in state "general fund" tax revenue, to pay the subsidies this year.
  Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
• Received in the House on December 15, 2011, to concur with the Senate-passed version of the bill. Passed 100 to 6 in the House on December 15, 2011.
  Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
• Signed by Gov. Rick Snyder on December 20, 2011.