HB 404 -- Public Service Commission

Co-Sponsors:  Rector, Stevenson, Willoughby, Sager, Bishop

Under current law, members of the Public Service Commission must
reside within 40 miles of Jefferson City.  This bill requires
commissioners to be Missouri residents.

The bill also requires the commission to retain a six-member
technical advisory staff with expertise in accounting, economics,
finance, engineering or utility operations, law, and public
policy.  Each commissioner may also retain a personal advisor.
All hiring of technical advisory staff members must be offset
through elimination of other commission staff positions.
Advisory staff members cannot be a party to any case before the
commission and are subject to the same ex parte and conflict of
interest requirements as commissioners.

No one regulated by, appearing before, or employed by the
commission may offer advisory staff members new appointments or
positions.  No one leaving the advisory staff can be employed by
the commission in any other capacity for at least two years; and
new advisory staff members cannot have been employed by the
commission, the Office of the Public Counsel, or any company
regulated by the commission for at least two years before being
hired.

The bill allows commissioners to confer with others on matters
not relating to filed cases.  Commissioners may also confer with
others on matters relating to pending or filed cases if no
evidentiary hearing has been scheduled and if the matter is
discussed at an announced public meeting or a forum where
affected parties are present or if the discussion is subsequently
disclosed to affected parties.  If an evidentiary hearing has
been scheduled, commissioners may only discuss matters relating
to procedures or unanimous agreements that resolve a case fully.

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated July 25, 2003 at 10:11 am