{"data":{"id":"us-mt/69-3-1408","jurisdiction":"us-mt","citation":"69-3-1408","heading":"Universal system benefits programs -- establishing nonbypassable rate -- exemption.","body":"(1) Except as provided in subsection (4), a natural gas utility shall implement, upon commission approval and subject to ongoing commission oversight and direction, a universal system benefits program.\n(2) Except as provided in subsection (4), the commission shall establish a universal system benefits charge that natural gas transmission services providers or distribution services providers, or both, in the state of Montana shall charge to all end-use customers, taking into consideration the current level of expenditure by the natural gas utility, cost-effectiveness, and similar costs imposed in other states. The charge may be established and revised through a universal system benefits charge tracking procedure. The method of assessing the charge may not disproportionately burden a large transmission services provider's customers. Within the universal system benefits charge, beginning January 1, 2007, a natural gas utility's minimum annual funding requirement for low-income weatherization and low-income energy bill assistance is established at 0.42% of a natural gas utility's annual revenue for the previous year. A natural gas utility must receive credit for its internal programs or activities that qualify as universal system benefits programs.\n(3) Except as provided in subsection (4), a natural gas utility shall file an annual report of its universal system benefits charges, programs, and program funding levels with the commission in a manner prescribed by the commission.\n(4) A natural gas utility that serves 200 or fewer customers is exempt from the requirements of subsections (1) through (3).","path":["TITLE 69. PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS","CHAPTER 3. REGULATION OF UTILITIES","Part 14. Natural Gas Utility Restructuring and Customer Choice Act"],"source_url":"https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0690/chapter_0030/part_0140/section_0080/0690-0030-0140-0080.html","current_through":"Montana Code Annotated 2025","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T04:58:14Z","sha256":"125f8a87a5898fa9fa662be9c4175e7890b50f2b601519234a8805e76b2a6871","source_id":"us-mt","stale":false,"prev":"us-mt/69-3-1407","next":"us-mt/69-3-1409"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}