GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1993

S	1 

SENATE BILL 813

Short Title:  Energy Assistance Fund.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Senators Odom; Winner of Mecklenburg, Gulley, Blackmon, and Richardson.
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Referred to:  Public Utilities.
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April 12, 1993

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A LOW-INCOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE FUND USING INTEREST ON CUSTOMER UTILITY DEPOSITS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1. Article 2 of Chapter 108A of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Part to read:
"Part 7.  Low-Income Energy Assistance Fund.
"§ 108A-69.  Low-Income Energy Assistance Fund.
(a)	The Low-Income Energy Assistance Fund is established within the Department of Human Resources to provide funds for assistance to low-income persons for the purchase of fuel and other forms of energy.
(b)	Each utility receiving deposits or other property to secure payment or as an advance for future services shall deposit that property into an interest-bearing trust account maintained in a licensed and insured bank or savings institution located in the State of North Carolina.  The utility shall direct the bank or savings institution to remit all interest or dividends, less any applicable charges or fees, at least quarterly to the Department of Human Resources for deposit in the Low-Income Energy Assistance Fund established in subsection (a) of this section.  For purposes of this section, the term 'utility' means any person who owns or operates, for public use, any plant, equipment, property, franchise or license, for transportation of the public, the transmission of communications, or the production, storage, transmission, sale, delivery, or furnishing of electricity, water, steam, or gas.
(c)	The Department of Human Resources shall distribute funds from the Low-Income Energy Assistance Fund to each county on a per capita basis.  The county manager of each county shall designate a nonprofit organization that provides energy assistance to low-income persons in that county to receive the county's per capita share.  If no appropriate nonprofit organization exists in the county, the county manager shall designate the appropriate local agency to receive the county's per capita share.  The nonprofit organization or local agency receiving funds under this section shall provide a quarterly report to the county manager on the expenditure of the funds, and the county manager shall report the expenditure to the Department of Human Resources."
Sec. 2.  This act becomes effective December 1, 1993, and applies to all deposits held by utilities on or after that date.