I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3979 
To establish a refund effective date for rates and charges under the Natural 
Gas Act, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 17, 2021 
Mr. BUTTERFIELD (for himself and Mr. LONG) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To establish a refund effective date for rates and charges 
under the Natural Gas Act, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Natural 
Gas Consumers from Overcharges Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. FIXING RATES AND CHARGES, REFUND EFFECTIVE 
DATE. 
Section 5(a) of the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 
717d(a)) is amended— 
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(1) by striking ‘‘Whenever’’ and inserting ‘‘(1) 
Whenever’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘had’’ and inserting ‘‘held’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) Any complaint or motion of the Commission to 
initiate a proceeding under this subsection shall state the 
change or changes to be made to the rate, charge, classi-
fication, rule, regulation, practice, or contract then in 
force, and the reasons for any proposed change or changes 
therein. 
‘‘(3) If, after review of any motion or complaint and 
answer under this subsection, the Commission shall decide 
to hold a hearing, it shall— 
‘‘(A) fix by order the time and place of such 
hearing; and 
‘‘(B) specify the issues to be adjudicated. 
‘‘(4) Whenever the Commission institutes a pro-
ceeding under this subsection, the Commission shall estab-
lish a refund effective date as follows: 
‘‘(A) In the case of a proceeding instituted on 
complaint, the refund effective date shall not be ear-
lier than the date of the filing of such complaint nor 
later than 5 months after the filing of such com-
plaint. 
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‘‘(B) In the case of a proceeding instituted by 
the Commission on its own motion, the refund effec-
tive date shall not be earlier than the date of the 
publication by the Commission of notice of its inten-
tion to initiate such proceeding nor later than 5 
months after the publication date. 
‘‘(5) Upon institution of a proceeding under this sub-
section, the Commission shall give to the decision of such 
proceeding the same preference as provided under section 
4 and otherwise act as speedily as possible. 
‘‘(6) If no final decision is rendered by the conclusion 
of the 180-day period commencing upon initiation of a 
proceeding pursuant to this subsection, the Commission 
shall— 
‘‘(A) state the reasons why it has failed to 
render such decision; and 
‘‘(B) state its best estimate as to when it rea-
sonably expects to make such decision. 
‘‘(7) In any proceeding under this subsection, the 
burden of proof to show that any rate, charge, classifica-
tion, rule, regulation, practice, or contract is unjust, un-
reasonable, unduly discriminatory, or preferential shall be 
upon the Commission or the complainant. 
‘‘(8) At the conclusion of any proceeding under this 
subsection, the Commission may order refunds— 
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‘‘(A) of any amounts paid, for the period subse-
quent to the refund effective date through a date fif-
teen months after such refund effective date, in ex-
cess of those which would have been paid under the 
just and reasonable rate, charge, classification, rule, 
regulation, practice, or contract which the Commis-
sion orders to be thereafter observed and in force: 
Provided, That if the proceeding is not concluded 
within fifteen months after the refund effective date 
and if the Commission determines at the conclusion 
of the proceeding that the proceeding was not re-
solved within the fifteen-month period primarily be-
cause of dilatory behavior by the natural gas com-
pany, the Commission may order refunds of any or 
all amounts paid for the period subsequent to the re-
fund effective date and prior to the conclusion of the 
proceeding; and 
‘‘(B) shall be made, with interest, to those per-
sons who have paid those rates or charges which are 
the subject of the proceeding.’’. 
Æ 
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