GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

1985 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 312

HOUSE BILL 610

 

AN ACT TO PERMIT THE UTILITIES COMMISSION TO EMPLOY LEGAL COUNSEL AND RECOVER THE COSTS FOR THAT COUNSEL WHEN APPEARING BEFORE FEDERAL COURTS AND AGENCIES IN MATTERS RELATING TO THE WHOLESALE RATES FOR NATURAL GAS.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  G.S. 62-48 is amended by designating the existing section as subsection (a) and by adding a new subsection to read:

"(b)      The Commission may, when appearing before federal courts and agencies on behalf of the using and consuming public in matters relating to the wholesale rates and supply of natural gas, employ, subject to the approval of the Governor, private legal counsel and be reimbursed for any resulting legal fees and costs from past and future refunds received by the North Carolina natural gas distribution companies, and may establish procedures for those natural gas distribution companies to set aside reasonable amounts of those refunds for this purpose."

Sec. 2.  Section 132, Chapter 761, 1983 Session Laws, is repealed.

Sec. 3.  This act is effective upon ratification and its provisions shall apply to legal fees and costs previously incurred for the purposes stated in Section 1 of this act.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 3rd day of June, 1985.