2023 Illinois Compiled Statutes › Chapter 220 - UTILITIES › 220 ILCS 5/ - Public Utilities Act. › Article II - Illinois Commerce Commission

(220 ILCS 5/Art. II heading)
ARTICLE II.  
		ILLINOIS
COMMERCE COMMISSION
(220 ILCS 5/2-101) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 2-101)
Sec. 2-101. 
		Commerce Commission created. 
		There is created an Illinois
Commerce Commission consisting of 5 members not more than 3 of whom shall be
members of the same political
party at the time of appointment.  The Governor shall appoint the members
of such Commission by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.  In
case of a vacancy in such office during the recess of the Senate the Governor
shall make a temporary appointment until the next meeting of the Senate,
when he shall nominate some person to fill such office; and any
person so nominated who is confirmed by the Senate, shall hold his office
during the remainder of the term and until his successor shall be appointed
and qualified. Each member of the Commission shall hold office for a term
of 5 years from the third Monday in January of the year in which his
predecessor's term expires.
Notwithstanding any provision of this Section to the contrary, the term of
office of each member of the Commission is terminated on the effective date of
this amendatory Act of 1995, but the incumbent members
shall continue to exercise all of the powers and be subject to all of the
duties of members of the Commission until their respective successors are
appointed and qualified.  Of the members initially appointed under the
provisions of this amendatory Act of 1995, one member shall be appointed for a
term of office which shall expire on the third Monday of January, 1997; 2
members shall be appointed for terms of office which shall expire on the third
Monday of January, 1998; one member shall be appointed for a term of office
which shall expire on the third Monday of January, 1999; and one member shall
be appointed for a term of office which shall expire on the third Monday of
January, 2000.  Each respective successor shall be appointed for a term of
5 years from the third Monday of January of the year in which his
predecessor's term expires in accordance with the provisions of the first
paragraph of this Section.
Each member shall serve until his successor is appointed and qualified,
except that if the Senate refuses to consent to the appointment of any
member, such office shall be deemed vacant, and within 2 weeks of the date
the Senate refuses to consent to the reappointment of any member, such
member shall vacate such office. The Governor shall from time to time
designate the member of the Commission who shall be its chairman.
Consistent with the provisions of this Act, the Chairman shall be the chief
executive officer of the Commission for the purpose of ensuring that the
Commission's policies are properly executed.
If there is no vacancy on the Commission, 4 members of the Commission shall
constitute a quorum to transact business; otherwise, a majority of the
Commission shall constitute a quorum to transact business,
and no vacancy shall impair the right of the remaining
commissioners to
exercise all of the powers of the Commission. Every finding,
order, or
decision approved by a majority of the members of the Commission shall be
deemed to be the finding, order, or decision of the Commission.
(Source: P.A. 92-22, eff. 6-30-01.)
(220 ILCS 5/2-102) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 2-102)
Sec. 2-102. 
		
		(a) Each commissioner and each person appointed to office by
the Commission shall before entering upon the duties of his office take and
subscribe the constitutional oath of office.
Before entering upon the duties of his office each commissioner shall
give bond, with security to be approved by the Governor, in the sum of
$20,000, conditioned for the faithful performance of his duty as such
commissioner.   Every person appointed or employed by the
Commission, may, in the discretion of the Commission, before entering
upon the duties of his office, be required to give bond for the faithful
discharge of his duties, in such sum as the Commission may designate,
which bond shall be approved by the Commission.
All bonds required to be filed pursuant to this section shall be
filed in the office of the Secretary of State.
(b) No person in the employ of or holding any official relation to any
corporation or person subject in whole or in part to regulation by the
Commission, and no person holding stock or bonds in any such
corporation, or who is in any other manner pecuniarily interested
therein, directly or indirectly, shall be appointed to or hold the
office of commissioner or be appointed or employed by the
Commission; and if any such person shall voluntarily become so
interested his office or employment shall ipso facto become vacant.  If
any person become so interested otherwise than voluntarily he shall
within a reasonable time divest himself of such interest, and if he
fails to do so his office or employment shall become vacant.
No commissioner or person appointed or employed by the
Commission shall solicit or accept any gift, gratuity, emolument or
employment from any person or corporation subject to the supervision of
the Commission, or from any officer, agent or employee thereof; nor
solicit, request from or recommend, directly or indirectly, to any such
person or corporation, or to any officer, agent or employee thereof the
appointment of any person to any place or position.  Every such
corporation and person, and every officer, agent or employee thereof, is
hereby forbidden to offer to any commissioner or to any
person appointed or employed by the Commission any gift, gratuity,
emolument or employment.  If any commissioner or any person
appointed or employed by the Commission shall violate any provisions of
this paragraph he shall be removed from the office or employment held by
him.  Every person violating the provisions of this paragraph shall be
guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
(c) Each commissioner shall devote his entire time to
the duties of his office, and shall hold no other office or position of
profit, or engage in any other business, employment or vocation.
(Source: P.A. 84-617.)
(220 ILCS 5/2-103) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 2-103)
Sec. 2-103. 
(a) No former member of the Commission or person formerly employed by the Commission may represent any person before the Commission in any 
capacity with respect to any particular Commission proceeding in which he
participated personally and substantially as a member or employee of the Commission.
(b) No former member of the Commission may appear before the Commission in connection with
any Commission proceeding for a period of 2 years following the termination of service with the Commission.
(c) No former member of the Commission may accept any employment with
any entity subject to Commission regulation or certification, or with any industry trade association that (i) receives a majority of its funding from entities regulated or certificated by the Commission; or (ii) has a majority of members regulated or certificated by the Commission, for one year following
the termination of services with the Commission; provided such prohibition shall extend to 2 years for commissioners appointed subsequent to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly.
(d) No entity subject to Commission regulation or certification or any industry trade association that (i) receives a majority of its funding from entities regulated or certificated by the Commission; or (ii) has a majority of members regulated or certificated by the Commission shall offer a former
member of the Commission employment for a period of one year
following the termination of the former Commission member's
service with the Commission, or otherwise hire such person as an agent, consultant, or
attorney where such employment or contractual relation would be in violation
of this Section; provided such prohibition on offers of employment shall extend to 2 years for those commissioners appointed subsequent to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly.
(Source: P.A. 96-33, eff. 7-10-09.)
(220 ILCS 5/2-104) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 2-104)
Sec. 2-104. 
		
		It is declared to be the public policy of this State that
the Illinois Commerce Commission established herein is a quasi-judicial
body and that each commissioner shall receive an annual salary of
$39,000, or such amount as set by
the Compensation Review Board, whichever is greater. The chairman of the
Commission shall receive in addition to his salary as a commissioner an
additional sum of $8,500 per year, or an amount set by the Compensation
Review Board, whichever is greater, during such time as he shall serve
as chairman.
(Source: P.A. 84-617.)
(220 ILCS 5/2-105) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 2-105)
Sec. 2-105. Organization; executive director; assistants to Commissioners.
(a) In order that the Commission
may perform the duties and exercise the powers granted to it and assume its
responsibilities under this Act and any and all other statutes of this
State, the Commission, acting jointly, shall hire an executive director who
shall be responsible to the Commission and shall serve subject only to
removal by the Commission for good cause. The executive director shall be
responsible for the supervision and direction of the Commission staff and
for the necessary administrative activities of the Commission, subject only
to Commission direction and approval. In furtherance thereof, the executive
director may organize the Commission staff into such departments, bureaus,
sections, or divisions as he may deem necessary or appropriate. In
connection therewith, the executive director may delegate and assign to one
or more staff member or members the supervision and direction of any such
department, bureau, section, or division.
(b) The executive director shall obtain, subject to the provisions of
the Personnel Code, such accountants, engineers, experts, inspectors, clerks,
and employees as may be
necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act or to perform the duties
and exercise the powers conferred by law upon the Commission. All
accountants, engineers, experts, inspectors, clerks, and employees of the
Commission shall receive the compensation fixed by the Executive Director,
subject only to Commission approval. Notwithstanding these provisions, each
commissioner shall have the authority to retain up to 2 full-time
assistants, subject to the provisions of the Personnel Code, who shall be
supervised by the commissioner and whose compensation shall be fixed by
the commissioner.
(c) The commissioners, executive director, administrative law judges,
accountants, engineers, clerks, inspectors, experts, and other employees
shall have reimbursed to them all actual and necessary traveling and other
expenses and disbursements necessarily incurred or made by them in the
discharge of their official duties. The Commission and executive director
may also incur necessary expenses for office furniture, stationery,
printing, and other incidental expenses.
(d) A copy of any contract executed between the Commission and the
executive director which establishes or provides for the expenditure of
public funds shall be filed with the State Comptroller within 15 days of
execution and shall be available for public inspection.  Any cancellation
or modification of any such contract shall be filed with the State
Comptroller within 15 days of execution and shall be available for public
inspection.  When a contract or modification required to be filed under
this subsection has not been filed within 30 days of execution, the State
Comptroller shall refuse to issue any warrant for payment thereunder until
the Commission files the contract or modification with the State Comptroller.
(Source: P.A. 100-840, eff. 8-13-18.)
(220 ILCS 5/2-106) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 2-106)
Sec. 2-106. 
(a) The executive director shall employ administrative law judges to
make valuations of public utility properties, or to estimate proper rates of
service of public utilities, or to examine other questions coming before
the Commission, by taking testimony or by independent investigation.
The executive director shall designate one administrative law judge to serve as
chief administrative law judge who shall be responsible for supervising and
directing the activities of all administrative law judges, subject to the approval
of the executive director. Administrative law judges shall, under the direction of
the chief administrative law judge, take testimony of witnesses, examine accounts,
records, books, papers and physical properties, either by holding hearings
or making independent investigations, in any matter referred to them by the
chief administrative law judge; and make report thereof to the chief administrative law judge,
and attend at hearings before the Commission when so directed by the chief administrative law judge, for the purpose of explaining their investigations and
the result thereof to the Commission and the parties interested; and
perform such other duties as the chief administrative law judge may direct.
(b) All administrative law judges employed by the Commission shall be thoroughly
familiar with applicable rules of evidence, procedure and administrative
law. At least every two years after an administrative law judge is employed by the
Commission, the executive director and chief administrative law judge shall review
the performance of such administrative law judge based on whether the administrative law judge:
(i) is, and is perceived to be, fair to all parties;
(ii) has a judicious and considerate temperament;
(iii) is capable of comprehending and properly     conducting proceedings and other duties to which he is assigned;
(iv) is capable of understanding and rendering     rulings on legal and evidentiary issues;
(v) is capable of independently evaluating the     evidentiary record and drafting a proposed final order which reflects careful, impartial and competent analysis; and
(vi) meets any other qualifications deemed relevant     or necessary by the executive director or chief administrative law judge.
(Source: P.A. 100-840, eff. 8-13-18.)
(220 ILCS 5/2-107) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 2-107)
Sec. 2-107. The office of the Commission shall be in Springfield, but
the Commission may, with the approval of the Governor, establish and
maintain branch offices at places other than the seat of government.
Such office shall be open for business between the hours of 8:30 a.m.
and 5:00 p.m. throughout the year, and one or more responsible persons
to be designated by the executive director shall be on duty
at all times in immediate charge thereof.
The Commission shall hold stated meetings at least once a month and
may hold such special meetings as it may deem necessary at any place
within the State. At each regular and special meeting that is open to the public, members of the public shall be afforded time, subject to reasonable constraints, to make comments to or to ask questions of the Commission.
The Commission shall provide a web site and a toll-free telephone number to accept comments from Illinois residents regarding any matter under the auspices of the Commission or before the Commission. The Commission staff shall report, in a manner established by the Commission that is consistent with the Commission's rules regarding ex parte communications, to the full Commission comments and suggestions received through both venues before all relevant votes of the Commission.
The Commission may, for the authentication of its records, process
and proceedings, adopt, keep and use a common seal, of which seal
judicial notice shall be taken in all courts of this State; and any
process, notice, order or other paper which the Commission may be
authorized by law to issue shall be deemed sufficient if signed and
certified by the Chairman of the Commission or his or her designee, either
by hand or by facsimile, and with such
seal attached; and all acts, orders, proceedings, rules, entries,
minutes, schedules and records of the Commission, and all reports and
documents filed with the Commission, may be proved in any court of this
State by a copy thereof, certified to by the Chairman of the
Commission, with the seal of the Commission attached.
Notwithstanding any  other provision of this Section, the Commission's established procedures for accepting testimony from Illinois residents on matters pending before the Commission shall be consistent with the Commission's rules regarding ex parte communications and due process.
(Source: P.A. 95-127, eff. 8-13-07.)
(220 ILCS 5/2-108) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 2-108)
Sec. 2-108. 
		Disqualification of a Commissioner from certain proceedings.
(a) Definitions.  In this Section:
"Degree of relationship" is calculated according to     the civil law.
"Fiduciary" includes without limitation a personal     representative, an executor, an administrator, a trustee, and a guardian.
"Financial interest" means ownership of a legal or     equitable interest, however small, or being in the relationship of director, advisor, or other active participant in the affairs of a party, except the following:
(i) Ownership in a mutual or common investment         fund that holds securities is not a "financial interest" in those securities unless the Commissioner participates in the management of the fund.
(ii) An office in an educational, religious,         charitable, fraternal, or civic organization is not a "financial interest" in securities held by the organization.
(iii) The proprietary interest of a policyholder         in a mutual insurance company, a depositor in a mutual savings association, or a similar proprietary interest is a "financial interest" in the organization only if the outcome of the proceeding could substantially affect the value of the interest.
(iv) Ownership of government securities is a         "financial interest" in the issuer only if the outcome of the proceeding could substantially affect the value of the securities.
(b) A Commissioner must disqualify himself or herself in a proceeding in
which his or her impartiality might reasonably be questioned, including
without limitation the following:
(1) The Commissioner has a personal bias or prejudice     concerning a party or a party's lawyer.
(2) At any time during the preceding 3 years, the     Commissioner was employed by or served as a lawyer, witness, consultant, or advisor, with respect to any regulatory issue within the purview of the statutes conferring jurisdiction on the Commission for any public utility, telecommunications carrier, motor carrier, or an affiliated interest of a public utility, telecommunications carrier, or motor carrier who is a party to the proceeding.
(3) The Commissioner was, within the preceding 3     years, a partner in, associated with, or employed by any firm, partnership, company, or corporation which, within the preceding 3 years or currently, served or is serving as a lawyer, witness, consultant, or advisor, with respect to any regulatory issue within the purview of the statutes conferring jurisdiction on the Commission for any public utility, telecommunications carrier, motor carrier, or an affiliated interest of a public utility, telecommunications carrier, or motor carrier who is a party to the proceeding, except that referral of cases when no monetary interest is retained is not an association within the meaning of this paragraph.
(4) The Commissioner knows that he or she,     individually or as a fiduciary, or that a spouse or minor child residing in his or her household has a substantial financial interest in the subject matter of the proceeding or in a party to the proceeding or has any interest other than financial that could be substantially affected by the outcome of the proceeding.
(5) The Commissioner, his or her spouse, a person     within the second degree of relationship to either of them, or the spouse of a person within that degree of relationship:
(A) is a party to the proceeding or an officer,         director, or trustee of a party;
(B) is acting as a lawyer in the proceeding; or
(C) is to the Commissioner's knowledge likely to         be a witness, consultant, or advisor to any party to the proceeding.
(c) A Commissioner must inform himself or herself about the
Commissioner's personal and fiduciary financial interests and shall make a
reasonable effort to inform himself or herself about the personal financial
interests of the Commissioner's spouse and minor children residing in his
or her household.
(d) If a Commissioner disqualifies himself or herself, the Commissioner
shall provide a written explanation of the reasons for the disqualification
to all parties to the proceeding.
This Section shall apply only to persons appointed or reappointed to
the Illinois Commerce Commission and confirmed by the Senate after the
effective date of this amendatory Act of 1991.
(Source: P.A. 87-801.)
(220 ILCS 5/2-201) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 2-201)
Sec. 2-201. 
		There shall be paid to the Commission the following fees: 
		For copies of evidence and proceedings before the Commission, official
documents and orders filed in its office, or other papers and records,
whether or not certified or otherwise authenticated, 25¢ for each folio,
and $1 for each certificate with a seal affixed thereto.
For certifying each copy of the Commission's annual report, or each copy
of any report made by a public utility to the Commission, $1.
No fees shall be charged or collected for copies of papers, records, or
official documents furnished to any city or public officers, including
the Public Counsel, for use in
their official capacity, or for the annual reports of the Commission in the
ordinary course of distribution, but the Commission may fix reasonable
charges for publications issued under its authority. All fees charged and
collected by the Commission shall be paid promptly after the receipt of the
same, accompanied by a detailed statement thereof, into the Public Utility
Fund in the State treasury.
(Source: P.A. 84-617; 84-1118.)
(220 ILCS 5/2-202) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 2-202)
Sec. 2-202. Policy; Public Utility Fund; tax.
(a) It is declared to be the public policy of this State that
in order to maintain and foster the effective regulation of public
utilities under this Act in the interests of the People of the State of
Illinois and the public utilities as well, the public utilities subject
to regulation under this Act and which enjoy the privilege of operating
as public utilities in this State, shall bear the expense of
administering this Act by means of a tax on such privilege measured by the
annual gross revenue of such public utilities in the manner provided in
this Section. For purposes of this Section, "expense of
administering this Act" includes any costs incident to studies, whether
made by the Commission or under contract entered into by the Commission,
concerning environmental pollution problems caused or contributed to by
public utilities and the means for eliminating or abating those
problems. Such proceeds shall be deposited in the Public Utility Fund in
the State treasury.
(b) All of the ordinary and contingent expenses of the
Commission incident to the administration of this Act shall be paid out
of the Public Utility Fund except the compensation of the members of the
Commission which shall be paid from the General Revenue Fund.
Notwithstanding other provisions of this Act to the contrary, the
ordinary and contingent expenses of the Commission incident to the
administration of the Illinois Commercial Transportation Law may be paid
from appropriations from the Public Utility Fund through the end of fiscal
year 1986.
(c) A tax is imposed upon each public utility subject to the
provisions of this Act equal to .08% of its gross revenue for each
calendar year commencing with the calendar year beginning January 1, 1982,
except that the Commission may, by rule, establish a different rate no
greater than 0.1%.
For purposes of this Section, "gross revenue" shall not include
revenue from the production, transmission, distribution, sale,
delivery, or furnishing of electricity.
"Gross revenue" shall not include amounts paid by telecommunications retailers
under the Telecommunications Infrastructure Maintenance Fee Act.
(d) Annual gross revenue returns shall be filed in accordance with
paragraph (1) or (2) of this subsection (d).
(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this     subsection (d), on or before January 10 of each year each public utility subject to the provisions of this Act shall file with the Commission an estimated annual gross revenue return containing an estimate of the amount of its gross revenue for the calendar year commencing January 1 of said year and a statement of the amount of tax due for said calendar year on the basis of that estimate.  Public utilities may also file revised returns containing updated estimates and updated amounts of tax due during the calendar year. These revised returns, if filed, shall form the basis for quarterly payments due during the remainder of the calendar year.  In addition, on or before March 31 of each year, each public utility shall file an amended return showing the actual amount of gross revenues shown by the company's books and records as of December 31 of the previous year. Forms and instructions for such estimated, revised, and amended returns shall be devised and supplied by the Commission.
(2) Beginning with returns due after January 1, 2002,     the requirements of paragraph (1) of this subsection (d) shall not apply to any public utility in any calendar year for which the total tax the public utility owes under this Section is less than $10,000.  For such public utilities with respect to such years, the public utility shall file with the Commission, on or before March 31 of the following year, an annual gross revenue return for the year and a statement of the amount of  tax due for that year on the basis of such a return. Forms and instructions for such returns and corrected returns shall be devised and supplied by the Commission.
(e) All returns submitted to the Commission by a public utility as
provided in this subsection (e) or subsection (d) of this Section shall contain
or be verified by a written declaration by an appropriate officer of the public
utility that the return is made under the penalties of perjury. The Commission
may audit each such return submitted and may, under the provisions of Section
5-101 of this Act, take such measures as are necessary to ascertain the
correctness of the returns submitted. The Commission has the power to direct
the filing of a corrected return by any utility which has filed an incorrect
return and to direct the filing of a return by any utility which has failed to
submit a return.  A taxpayer's signing a fraudulent return under this Section
is perjury, as defined in Section 32-2 of the Criminal Code of 2012.
(f)(1) For all public utilities subject to paragraph (1) of
subsection (d), at least one quarter of the annual amount of tax due
under subsection (c) shall be paid to the Commission on or before the tenth day
of January, April, July, and October of the calendar year subject to tax.  In
the event that an adjustment in the amount of tax due should be necessary as a
result of the filing of an amended or corrected return under subsection (d) or
subsection (e) of this Section, the amount of any deficiency shall be paid by
the public utility together with the amended or corrected return and the amount
of any excess shall, after the filing of a claim for credit by the public
utility, be returned to the public utility in the form of a credit memorandum
in the amount of such excess or be refunded to the public utility in accordance
with the provisions of subsection (k) of this Section.  However, if such
deficiency or excess is less than $1, then the public utility need not pay the
deficiency and may not claim a credit.
(2) Any public utility subject to paragraph (2) of subsection (d)
shall pay the amount of tax due under subsection (c) on or before March
31 next following the end of the calendar year subject to tax.  In the
event that an adjustment in the amount of tax due should be necessary as a
result of the filing of a corrected return under subsection (e), the amount
of any deficiency shall be paid by the public utility at the time the
corrected return is filed. Any excess tax payment by the public utility shall
be returned to it after the filing of a claim for credit, in the form of a
credit memorandum in the amount of the excess.  However, if such deficiency or
excess is less than $1, the public utility need not pay the deficiency and may
not claim a credit.
(g) Each installment or required payment of the tax imposed by
subsection (c) becomes delinquent at midnight of the date that it is due.
Failure to make a payment as required by this Section shall result in the
imposition of a late payment penalty, an underestimation penalty, or both,
as provided by this subsection.  The late payment penalty shall be the
greater of:
(1) $25 for each month or portion of a month that the     installment or required payment is unpaid or
(2) an amount equal to the difference between what     should have been paid on the due date, based upon the most recently filed estimated, annual, or amended return, and what was actually paid, times 1%, for each month or portion of a month that the installment or required payment goes unpaid.  This penalty may be assessed as soon as the installment or required payment becomes delinquent.
The underestimation penalty shall apply to those public utilities
subject to paragraph (1) of subsection (d) and shall be calculated after
the filing of the amended return.  It shall be imposed if the amount actually
paid on any of the dates specified in subsection (f) is not equal to at least
one-fourth of the amount actually due for the year, and shall equal the greater
of:
(1) $25 for each month or portion of a month that the     amount due is unpaid or
(2) an amount equal to the difference between what     should have been paid, based on the amended return, and what was actually paid as of the date specified in subsection (f), times a percentage equal to 1/12 of the sum of 10% and the percentage most recently established by the Commission for interest to be paid on customer deposits under 83 Ill. Adm. Code 280.70(e)(1), for each month or portion of a month that the amount due goes unpaid, except that no underestimation penalty shall be assessed if the amount actually paid on or before each of the dates specified in subsection (f) was based on an estimate of gross revenues at least equal to the actual gross revenues for the previous year. The Commission may enforce the collection of any delinquent installment or payment, or portion thereof by legal action or in any other manner by which the collection of debts due the State of Illinois may be enforced under the laws of this State. The executive director or his designee may excuse the payment of an assessed penalty or a portion of an assessed penalty if he determines that enforced collection of the penalty as assessed would be unjust.
(h) All sums collected by the Commission under the provisions of
this Section shall be paid promptly after the receipt of the same, accompanied
by a detailed statement thereof, into the Public Utility Fund in the State
treasury.
(i) During the month of October of each odd-numbered year the
Commission shall:
(1) determine the amount of all moneys deposited in     the Public Utility Fund during the preceding fiscal biennium plus the balance, if any, in that fund at the beginning of that biennium;
(2) determine the sum total of the following items:     (A) all moneys expended or obligated against appropriations made from the Public Utility Fund during the preceding fiscal biennium, plus (B) the sum of the credit memoranda then outstanding against the Public Utility Fund, if any; and
(3) determine the amount, if any, by which the sum     determined as provided in item (1) exceeds the amount determined as provided in item (2).
If the amount determined as provided in item (3) of this subsection exceeds
50% of the previous fiscal year's appropriation level, the Commission shall then compute the
proportionate amount, if
any, which (x) the tax paid hereunder by each utility during the preceding
biennium, and (y) the amount paid into the Public Utility Fund during the
preceding biennium by the Department of Revenue pursuant to Sections 2-9 and
2-11
of the Electricity Excise Tax Law, bears to the difference between the amount
determined as
provided in item (3) of this subsection (i) and 50% of the previous fiscal year's appropriation level.
The
Commission
shall cause the proportionate amount determined with respect to payments
made under the Electricity Excise Tax Law to be transferred into the General
Revenue Fund in the State Treasury, and notify each
public utility that it may file during the 3 month period after the date of
notification a claim for credit for the proportionate amount
determined with respect to payments made hereunder by the public utility.
If the
proportionate amount is less than $10, no notification will be sent by the
Commission, and no right to a claim exists as to that amount. Upon the
filing of a claim for credit within the period provided, the Commission
shall issue a credit memorandum in such amount to such public utility. Any
claim for credit filed after the period provided for in this Section is void.
(i-5)  During the month of June of each year the Commission shall:
(1) determine the amount of all moneys expected to be     deposited in the Public Utility Fund during the next fiscal year, plus the balance, if any, in that fund at the beginning of that year;
(2) determine the total of all moneys expected to be     expended or obligated against appropriations made from the Public Utility Fund during the next fiscal year; and
(3)  determine the amount, if any, by which the     amount determined in paragraph (2) exceeds the amount determined as provided in paragraph (1).
If the amount determined as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection (i-5) results in a deficit, the Commission may assess electric utilities and gas utilities for the difference between the amount appropriated for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Commission and the amount derived under paragraph (1) of this subsection (i-5). Such proceeds shall be deposited in the Public Utility Fund in
the State treasury. The Commission shall apportion that difference among those public utilities on the basis of each utility's share of the total intrastate gross revenues of the utilities subject to this subsection (i-5). Payments required under this subsection (i-5) shall be made in the time and manner directed by the Commission. The Commission shall permit utilities to recover Illinois Commerce Commission assessments effective pursuant to this subsection through an automatic adjustment mechanism that is incorporated into an existing tariff that recovers costs associated with this Section, or through a supplemental customer charge.
Within 6 months after the first time assessments are made under this subsection (i-5), the Commission shall initiate a docketed proceeding in which it shall consider, in addition to assessments from electric and gas utilities subject to this subsection, the raising of assessments from, or the payment of fees by, water and sewer utilities, entities possessing certificates of service authority as alternative retail electric suppliers under Section 16-115 of this Act, entities possessing certificates of service authority as alternative gas suppliers under Section 19-110 of this Act, and telecommunications carriers providing local exchange telecommunications service or interexchange telecommunications service under Sections 13-204 or 13-205 of this Act.  The amounts so determined shall be based on the costs to the agency of the exercise of its regulatory and supervisory functions with regard to the different industries and service providers subject to the proceeding.  No less often than every 3 years after the end of a proceeding under this subsection (i-5), the Commission shall initiate another proceeding for that purpose.
The Commission may use this apportionment method until the docketed proceeding in which the Commission considers the raising of assessments from other entities subject to its jurisdiction under this Act has concluded. No credit memoranda shall be issued pursuant to subsection (i) if the amount determined as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection (i-5) results in a deficit.
(j) Credit memoranda issued pursuant to subsection (f)
and credit memoranda issued after notification and filing pursuant to
subsection (i) may be applied for the 2 year period from the date of issuance,
against the payment of any  amount due during that period under
the tax imposed by subsection (c), or, subject to reasonable rule of the
Commission including requirement of notification, may be assigned to any
other public utility subject to regulation under this Act. Any application
of credit memoranda after the period provided for in this Section is void.
(k) The chairman or executive director may make refund of fees, taxes or
other charges whenever he shall determine that the person or public utility
will not be liable for payment of such fees, taxes or charges during the
next 24 months and he determines that the issuance of a credit memorandum
would be unjust.
(Source: P.A. 102-931, eff. 5-27-22.)
(220 ILCS 5/2-203)
Sec. 2-203. (Repealed).
(Source: P.A. 98-602, eff. 12-6-13. Repealed internally, eff. 4-1-15.)