Sec. 9.1. (a) This section applies to the following:

(1) Water utilities that are owned or operated by second class cities.

(2) Third class cities.

(3) Towns.

(b) In addition to section 9 of this chapter, a municipally owned utility to which this section applies may be removed from the jurisdiction of the commission for the approval of rates and charges and of the issuance of stocks, bonds, notes, or other evidence of indebtedness, if the municipal legislative body adopts an ordinance removing the utility from commission jurisdiction. The municipal legislative body shall, at least thirty (30) days before the final vote on the ordinance, mail written notice of the meeting to all ratepayers of the utility and to the commission. For a second class city the municipal legislative body must hold two (2) public meetings before the final vote on an ordinance removing the utility from commission jurisdiction may be adopted. An explanation of the removal process must be provided at each public meeting under this section. Each public meeting must be held in a different location.

(c) The ordinance described in subsection (b) takes effect sixty (60) days after adoption by the municipal legislative body.

(d) The question of removal from commission jurisdiction shall be submitted to the registered voters of the municipality if, within the sixty (60) day period described in subsection (c), the legislative body receives a petition:

(1) that is signed by at least the number of the registered voters of the municipality required under IC 3-8-6-3 to place a candidate on the ballot; and

(2) that requests the legislative body to submit the question of removal from commission jurisdiction to the registered voters of the municipality at the next election.

The municipal legislative body shall certify the public question in subsection (e) to the county election board of the county that contains the greatest percentage of population of the municipality under IC 3-10-9-3.

(e) If the legislative body receives a petition described in subsection (d) in the proper form, the legislative body shall submit the following public question to the registered voters of the municipality at the next election in the form prescribed by IC 3-10-9-4:

"Shall the municipally owned utility be taken out of the jurisdiction of the Indiana utility regulatory commission for the approval of rates and charges and of the issuance of stocks, bonds, notes, or other evidence of indebtedness?".

The legislative body shall mail written notice of the referendum to the commission at least ten (10) days before the date of the election.

(f) If a majority of those voting on the question described in subsection (e) favor taking the municipally owned utility out of the jurisdiction of the commission, the utility is removed from the jurisdiction of the commission for approval of rates and charges and of the issuance of stocks, bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness.

(g) If the legislative body receives a petition in proper form under subsection (d), the ordinance does not take effect until after removal is approved by a majority of those voting. If a majority of those voting vote against removal, the utility remains under the jurisdiction of the commission and the ordinance does not take effect.

(h) In addition to the notice required by subsection (b), if the municipal legislative body adopts the ordinance, described in subsection (b), the municipal legislative body shall mail written notice of the withdrawal from commission jurisdiction to the commission within thirty (30) days after the ordinance becomes effective.

(i) Notwithstanding this section or section 9 of this chapter, the commission may require a municipally owned utility that generates electric power to provide information to the permanent forecasting group under IC 8-1-8.5-3.5.

(j) This section does not affect the obligations of a municipally owned utility under IC 8-1-2.3, IC 8-1-8.5, IC 8-1-22.5, or IC 8-1.5-3-14.

(k) Notwithstanding subsection (a) and the procedure set forth in section 9 of this chapter, if a city adopts an ordinance under this section before January 1, 2013, to remove the city's municipally owned electric utility from the jurisdiction of the commission for the approval of rates and charges and of the issuance of stocks, bonds, notes, or other evidence of indebtedness, the removal of the city's municipally owned electric utility from the commission's jurisdiction for the approval of rates and charges and of the issuance of stocks, bonds, notes, or other evidence of indebtedness is effective for all purposes and is legalized and validated.

As added by P.L.82-1988, SEC.6. Amended by P.L.77-1991, SEC.3; P.L.12-1995, SEC.102; P.L.163-2013, SEC.2.