HB 943 Mississippi House · 2025 Regular Session

Public Service Commission; authorize to intervene in, arbitrate and/or mediate rate conflicts between water associations and rate payers.

HB 943 authorizes Mississippi's Public Service Commission to mediate or arbitrate rate disputes between private water associations and their customers. It specifically allows customers to switch to county or municipal water systems if their current association faces health restrictions or cannot serve them. The Commission can intervene upon request or on its own initiative, and its decisions on rate fairness would be binding. This directly affects rural water customers, private water associations, and the Commission in resolving billing conflicts.

Bill status died 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Feb 2025

House Passage

Feb 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 17, 2025 Last action Mar 4, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Committee Substitute → Current version · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates Mississippi's public utility regulations to give the Public Service Commission authority to create rules for resolving rate disputes between water utilities and customers. It also adds protections for rural water association customers when health restrictions prevent service, allowing them to switch to local municipal water systems. The changes aim to improve customer access to water services and provide clearer dispute resolution mechanisms.

Scope change

The bill expands the Public Service Commission's authority from passive intervention to active rule-making for dispute resolution, and adds new eligibility criteria for rural water association customers to access alternative water sources.

REQUIREMENT

Public Service Commission can now adopt procedural rules to arbitrate and mediate rate disputes between private water associations and ratepayers

ELIGIBILITY

Rural water association customers can now procure water services from local county or municipal systems when health restrictions prevent the association from serving them

ENFORCEMENT

Removed requirement that utilities must provide 'fair and reasonable rates' as part of adequate service definition, simplifying the language around service adequacy standards

Added requirement that rural water associations must cooperate to remove customers from their systems when those customers switch to municipal water providers

TIMELINE

Removed the sunset provision that would have repealed the act on June 30, 2025, making the changes permanent

As Introduced → Committee Substitute · 8 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends Mississippi's public utility laws to strengthen consumer protections, expand the Public Service Commission's authority to intervene in rate disputes, and update regulations for telecommunications and utility rate changes. The changes include new powers for the commission to mediate rate conflicts, stricter requirements for utility rate filings, and transitions to competitive telecommunications markets.

Scope change

The bill expands the Public Service Commission's jurisdiction over rate disputes between private water associations and ratepayers, and clarifies jurisdiction over municipalities providing service beyond municipal boundaries.

ENFORCEMENT

New authority for the Public Service Commission to intervene, arbitrate, and mediate rate disputes between private water associations and ratepayers, with binding decisions unless good cause exists for modification.

New civil penalty provisions for willful violations of commission statutes, with penalties up to $5,000 per violation and daily penalties for continued violations.

REQUIREMENT

Updated utility rate change procedures to require more detailed documentation for major rate increases, including financial impact statements and extended public notice periods.

New requirements for utilities to offer optional rate schedules without service charges, giving consumers choice in billing arrangements.

ELIGIBILITY

New provisions allowing municipalities to acquire utility facilities through eminent domain, with requirements for commission review and certificate cancellation before acquisition.

SCOPE

Expanded commission jurisdiction to investigate municipalities providing utility service more than one mile outside municipal boundaries, including authority to cancel certificates for such areas.

Transitional provisions for telecommunications utilities moving to competitive markets, including customer service agreement requirements and grandfathered rate protections.

TIMELINE

Updated effective date to July 1, 2025, with repeal on June 30, 2025, indicating this is a temporary or transitional legislative change.

Floor votes · House Feb 13, 2025

How they voted

111–0

Passed · 8 other

Total votes 119

Feb 13, 2025

D Democratic39

37 Yea 2

94% Yea

I Independent2

2 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican78

72 Yea 6

92% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 17, 2025

Committee

Referred To Energy

upper

Feb 17, 2025

Introduced

Transmitted To Senate

lower

Feb 13, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed As Amended

lower

Feb 13, 2025

Lower · Passed

Amended

lower

Jan 30, 2025

Lower · Passed

Title Suff Do Pass Comm Sub

lower

Jan 17, 2025

Committee

Referred To Public Utilities

lower

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor