Modifies provisions relating to the expenses incurred for the regulation of public utilities

SB 653 changes how Missouri's Public Service Commission allocates costs for regulating utilities. It requires the commission to estimate annual regulatory expenses and divide them among utility types (electricity, gas, water, phone, etc.) based on each group's share of state operating revenue. The total assessment on all utilities cannot exceed 0.155% of their combined state revenue, with payments due by July 15 (or in four installments) into a dedicated fund covering the commission's regulatory costs. Unused funds from the previous year carry over to reduce future assessments, ensuring costs are directly tied to each utility group's revenue. This bill directly affects all public utilities regulated by the commission in Missouri.