HB 122: "An Act relating to electric and telephone cooperatives, including expansion activities and political activities of electric and telephone cooperatives; and providing for an effective date."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 122 01 "An Act relating to electric and telephone cooperatives, including expansion activities 02 and political activities of electric and telephone cooperatives; and providing for an 03 effective date." 04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 * Section 1. AS 10.25.010 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 06 (c) An electric or telephone cooperative may only include the cost of 07 expansion activity in its rates to a member if the cooperative, before including the cost 08 in the rates, 09 (1) advised its members that a portion of the rates would be used for 10 expansion activities; 11 (2) identified for members how much of the rate would be used for 12 expansion activities; 13 (3) advised members that the cooperative would not discriminate 14 against or refuse to serve a member who opposed including the cost of expansion
01 activity in rates; and 02 (4) received approval of a majority of the cooperative's board of 03 directors for including the cost of expansion activity in rates. 04 (d) An electric or telephone cooperative may only include the cost of political 05 activity in its rates to a member if the cooperative, before including the cost in the 06 rates, 07 (1) advised its members that a portion of the rates would be used for 08 political activities; 09 (2) identified for members how much of the rate would be used for 10 political activities; 11 (3) advised members that the cooperative would not discriminate 12 against or refuse to serve a member who opposed including the cost of political 13 activity in rates; and 14 (4) received approval of a majority of the cooperative's board of 15 directors for including the cost of political activity in rates. 16 (e) This section may not be construed to modify or change the provisions of 17 AS 15.13.074 or AS 42.05.381(a). 18 (f) In this section, 19 (1) "expansion activity" means an activity that is intended to attract 20 customers for service to an electric or telephone cooperative from customers of 21 another public utility; 22 (2) "political activity" means an activity intended to advocate for a 23 political or policy position not directly related to the certificated services of the 24 cooperative. 25 * Sec. 2. AS 42.05.381 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 26 (k) A telephone or electric cooperative may only include the cost of expansion 27 activity or political activity, as defined in AS 10.25.010, in its rates if it has complied 28 with AS 10.25.010. 29 * Sec. 3. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).