66-1850. Act; enforcement; prior law; applicability.

(1) The State Natural Gas Regulation Act shall not be enforced retroactively before May 31, 2003. A rate filing made pursuant to the provisions of the Municipal Natural Gas Regulation Act prior to such date shall be governed by the act by its terms as in effect on the date of the filing. The enactment into law of the State Natural Gas Regulation Act shall not have the effect of releasing or waiving any right of action by the state, any body corporate and politic, municipal corporation, person, or corporation, pending on May 31, 2003, for any right which may have arisen or accrued under the Municipal Natural Gas Regulation Act.

(2) The rates, terms and conditions of service, and rate areas of a jurisdictional utility in effect on or before May 31, 2003, shall remain in effect after May 31, 2003, and shall be treated as if approved and adopted by the commission pursuant to the State Natural Gas Regulation Act.

(3) The rate areas established pursuant to the Municipal Natural Gas Regulation Act and in effect on May 31, 2003, shall be the initial rate areas in effect under the State Natural Gas Regulation Act. Each jurisdictional utility shall file with the commission a map showing the boundaries of such areas and intervening and adjacent rural territories served within such rate areas.

(4) Except as provided in subsection (5) of this section, following the filing of maps pursuant to subsection (3) of this section, a jurisdictional utility may file with the commission a revised map or maps of any affected rate areas reflecting changes in the boundaries of one or more of the initially filed rate areas and such changes shall become effective upon filing. The commission may, upon its own initiative or upon complaint, review such rate area boundaries and, following notice and hearing, reject or modify proposed changes upon the basis that the proposed changes in boundaries are unduly preferential, unjustly discriminatory, or not just and reasonable.

(5) A rate area containing a city of the primary class shall not be changed to include any other city until after June 1, 2007.

(6) The commission may waive application of the definition of high-volume ratepayer for all ratepayers (a) who prior to April 16, 2004, obtained natural gas service from a jurisdictional utility pursuant to subsection (3) of former section 19-4604, as such section existed prior to May 24, 2003, and (b) whose current consumption of natural gas would qualify such ratepayers to receive natural gas service pursuant to such former section if the section had not been repealed. All ratepayers meeting such criteria may be treated as high-volume ratepayers pursuant to the State Natural Gas Regulation Act. The authority granted pursuant to this subsection and any such waiver shall expire on June 1, 2007.

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