476.66 - CUSTOMER CONTRIBUTION FUND.

        476.66  CUSTOMER CONTRIBUTION FUND.         1.  The utilities board shall adopt rules which shall require each      electric and gas public utility to establish a fund whose purposes      shall include the receiving of contributions to assist the utility's      low-income customers with weatherization measures to improve energy      efficiency related to winter heating and summer cooling, and to      supplement the energy assistance received under the federal      low-income home energy assistance program for the payment of winter      heating electric or gas utility bills.         2.  The rules shall require each utility to periodically notify      its customers of the availability and purpose of the fund and to      provide them with forms on which they can authorize the utility to      bill their contribution to the fund on a monthly basis.         3.  The rules shall permit the fund to accept matching funds from      persons or organizations who wish to provide assistance for customers      of the utility.         4.  The utility may be reimbursed by the fund for the      administrative costs of the billings, disbursements, notices to      customers, and financial recordkeeping.  However, such reimbursement      shall not exceed five percent of the total revenues collected.         5.  The utility shall establish a board or committee to determine      the appropriate distribution of the funds.  The board or committee      shall include representatives from community or regional      organizations which are active in assisting citizens with payment of      their winter heating bills.         6.  The rules established by the utilities board shall require an      annual report to be filed for each fund.  The utilities board shall      compile an annual statewide report of the fund results.  The division      of community action agencies of the department of human rights shall      prepare an annual report of the unmet need for energy assistance and      weatherization.  Both reports shall be submitted to the      appropriations committees of the general assembly on the first day of      the following session.         7.  Existing programs to receive customer contributions      established by public utilities shall be construed to meet the      requirements of this section.  Such plans shall be subject to review      by the utilities board.  
         Section History: Recent Form
         88 Acts, ch 1175, § 3; 92 Acts, ch 1155, § 1; 2002 Acts, ch 1119,      §177         Referred to in § 216A.102, 476.1A, 476.1B