H. B. 2722

          (By Delegate Poling, D.)
          [Introduced February 25, 2013; referred to the
Committee on Energy, Industry and Labor, Economic Development and Small Business then Finance.]
          (By Request of the Public Service Commission)


A BILL to amend and reenact §24B-5-3 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to increasing the amount of special license fees paid by pipeline companies to the Public Service Commission.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
     That §24B-5-3 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 5. EMPLOYEES OF COMMISSION; FUNDING.
§24B-5-3. Funding; property and revenue license fees.
     (a) Every pipeline company shall pay a special license fee in addition to those now required by law. The amount of such fees shall be fixed by the Public Service Commission and levied by it upon each of such pipeline companies according to the number of three-inch equivalent pipeline miles included in its pipeline facilities and shall be apportioned among such pipeline companies upon the basis of the pipeline companies' reports submitted to the commission in such form as the commission may prescribe, so as to produce a revenue of not more than $315,000 $400,000 per annum, which fees shall be paid on or before July 1 in each year.
     (b) Such sums collected under subsection (a) of this section shall be paid into the State Treasury and kept as a special fund, designated the Public Service Commission Pipeline Safety Fund, to be appropriated as provided by law for the purpose of paying the salaries, compensation, costs and expenses of its employees. Any balance in said fund at the end of any fiscal year shall not revert to the treasury, but shall remain in said fund and may be appropriated as provided in this subsection. All funds which heretofore were in the Public Service Commission Gas Pipeline Safety Fund shall be transferred to the Public Service Commission Pipeline Safety Fund.



     NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to increase the amount of special license fees paid by pipeline companies to the Public Service Commission. The bill increases the total amount to be collected via the special license fees from $315,000 per year to $400,000 per year.

     Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.