Fair RATES Act

Bill: 114-s-2494
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2016-02-03
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Electric power generation and transmission

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

Public utilities and utility rates
Latest action: action_date: 2016-02-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Summaries:
action_date: 2016-02-03
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Fair Ratepayer Accountability, Transparency, and Efficiency Standards Act or the Fair RATES Act </b></p> <p>This bill amends the Federal Power Act to permit a party to seek a rehearing and subsequent judicial review of any rate change filed by a public utility that takes effect without the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issuing an order making such change effective. (Public utilities must give FERC and the public a 60-day notice before a proposed rate change can take effect.)</p>

tv_txt: II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2494 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 3, 2016 Mr. Markey (for himself and Ms. Warren ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources A BILL To amend the Federal Power Act to provide that any inaction by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that allows a rate change to go into effect shall be treated as an order by the Commission for purposes of rehearing and court review.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Fair Ratepayer Accountability, Transparency, and Efficiency Standards Act or the Fair RATES Act . 2. Amendment to the Federal Power Act Section 205(d) of the Federal Power Act ( 16 U.S.C. 824d(d) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: Any absence of action by the Commission that allows a change to take effect under this section (including the Commission allowing the 60 days of notice provided under this section to expire without Commission action) shall be considered to be an order issued by the Commission accepting the change for purposes of section 313. .