56-231.32 - Service to members.

§ 56-231.32. Service to members.

No person shall become or remain a member unless such person shall useutility services supplied by such cooperative and shall have complied withthe terms and conditions in respect to membership contained in the bylaws ofsuch cooperative. However, nothing in this article shall prevent acooperative from engaging in other lawful activities or enterprises. Shouldthe cooperative acquire any utility facilities already dedicated or devotedto the public use it may, for the purpose of continuing existing service andavoiding hardship, continue to serve the persons served directly from suchfacilities at the time of such acquisition without requiring that suchpersons become members. Such nonmember utility service customers shall havethe right to become members upon nondiscriminatory terms. The charges forregulated utility services to such nonmembers shall be on a cost basissimilar to the charges to members.

(1999, c. 874.)