66-1841. Commission; determination of total expenditures; assessment against jurisdictional utilities; limitation.

(1) The commission shall determine, within thirty days after each quarter-year for each such quarter-year, the total amount of its expenditures during such period of time. The total amount shall include the salaries of members and employees and all other lawful expenditures of the commission, including all expenditures in connection with investigations or appraisals made under the State Natural Gas Regulation Act, except that there shall not be included in such total amount of expenditures for the purpose of this section the expenditures during such period of time which are otherwise provided for by fees and assessments pursuant to the act.

(2) From the amount determined under subsection (1) of this section, the commission shall deduct (a) all amounts collected under section 66-1840 during such period of time and (b) all other funds collected with regard to jurisdictional utilities.

(3) To the remainder, after making the deductions under subsection (2) of this section, the commission shall add such amount as in its judgment may be required to satisfy any deficiency in the prior assessment period's assessment and to provide for anticipated increases in necessary expenditures for the current assessment period.

(4) The amount determined under subsections (1) through (3) of this section shall be assessed by the commission against all jurisdictional utilities and shall not exceed, during any fiscal year, the greater of one hundred dollars or each utility's proportionate share of the total amount determined under this section based upon meters served by each utility as a proportion of all meters of jurisdictional utilities. Such assessment shall be paid to the commission within fifteen days after the notice of assessment has been mailed to such utilities, which notice of assessment shall constitute demand of payment thereof.

(5) The commission shall remit all money received by or for it for the assessment imposed under this section to the State Treasurer for credit to the Public Service Commission Regulation Fund.

(6)(a) Until June 1, 2007, a jurisdictional utility may recover the amount of any assessments or charges paid to the commission pursuant to this section and section 66-1840 through a special surcharge on ratepayers which may be billed on the monthly statements for up to a twelve-month period immediately following their payment by the jurisdictional utility. The surcharge shall be shown on the statements as a charge for state regulatory assessments. The commission shall permit the utility to include in such surcharge interest upon the amount of the charges and assessments paid to the commission prior to their recovery from ratepayers. Such interest shall be at a rate not to exceed the rate established by section 45-103.

(b) On and after June 1, 2007, the commission by general rule and regulation shall authorize the recovery of the amount of any assessments or charges paid to the commission pursuant to this section and section 66-1840 in a general rate filing or through a special surcharge which may be billed on the monthly statements for up to a twelve-month period immediately following their payment by the jurisdictional utility.

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