Bill 208 (Legislature 29, Session 3)

L29 S3 11707

Alberta — Bills

2017 Bill 208 Third Session, 29th Legislature, 66 Elizabeth II THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ALBERTA BILL 208 GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION (UTILITIES CONSUMER ADVOCATE) AMENDMENT ACT, 2017 MR. HINKLEY First Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Second Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Committee of the Whole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

Third Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Royal Assent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1 Bill 208 Mr. Hinkley BILL 208 2017 GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION (UTILITIES CONSUMER ADVOCATE) AMENDMENT ACT, 2017 (Assented to , 2017) HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, enacts as follows: Amends RSA 2000 cG-10 1 The Government Organization Act is amended by this Act. 2

Schedule 13.1 is amended in

section 2 (

a) by renumbering it as

section 2(1); (

b) in subsection (1) by adding the following after clause (c): (c.1) to disseminate information to assist consumers in choosing a distributor, provider or retailer, including: (

i) complaints made under this Schedule, the Alberta Utilities Commission Act or the Electric Utilities Act and the outcome of any recommendation, hearing or settlement, (ii) investigations, orders, administrative penalties or convictions conducted, awarded or made under the Fair Trading Act, the Electric Utilities Act or the Alberta Utilities Commission Act, (iii) compliance records of a distributor, provider or retailer in adhering to the standards and codes prescribed under the Electric Utilities Act, the Alberta

Explanatory Notes 1 EXPLANATORY NOTES 1 Amends

chapter G-10 of the Revised Statutes of Alberta 2000. 2

Schedule 13.1,

section 2 presently reads: 2 The Office of the Utilities Consumer Advocate has the following responsibilities: (

a) to represent the interests of Alberta residential, farm and small business consumers of electricity and natural gas before proceedings of the Alberta Utilities Commission and other bodies whose decisions may affect the interests of those consumers; (

b) to disseminate independent and impartial information about the regulatory process relating to electricity and natural gas, including an analysis of the impact of decisions of the Alberta Utilities Commission, other bodies and the courts relating to electricity and natural gas; (

c) to inform and educate consumers about electricity and natural gas issues; (

d) to carry out such other responsibilities relating to electricity and natural gas as the responsible Minister determines.

2 Utilities Commission Act and the Fair Trading Act, and (iv) any other matters the Utilities Consumer Advocate considers necessary to carry out the purposes of this clause; (c.2) to assist in the resolution of any consumer issue, complaint or dispute between a consumer and a distributor, provider or retailer relating to the provision of electricity or natural gas as the Utilities Consumer Advocate considers appropriate and, if a resolution is not reached, to refer the complaint to the person, body or authority the Utilities Consumer Advocate considers appropriate; (

c) by adding the following after subsection (1)

(2) For the purposes set out in subsection (1), the Office of the Utilities Consumer Advocate may disclose, collect and use information about a distributor, provider or retailer from (

a) the Market Surveillance Administrator, (

b) the Alberta Utilities Commission, (

c) the Director of Fair Trading, and (

d) any other person the Utilities Consumer Advocate considers necessary.

(3) For the purposes set out in subsection (1), the bodies, organizations and persons referred to in subsection (2) are authorized to disclose information about a distributor, provider or retailer to the Office of the Utilities Consumer Advocate.

(4) No liability results from the publication of the information in subsection (1) so long as it was published in good faith.

(5) Nothing in this

section compels the disclosure of any information or records that are subject to any type of legal privilege, including solicitor-client privilege.

(6) This

section does not limit the authority of the Office of the Utilities Consumer Advocate to collect, use or disclose information when authorized to do so by any other law. 3 This Act comes into force on Proclamation.

Explanatory Notes 2 3 Coming into force.

Record of Debate STAGE DATE MEMBER FROM TO TOTAL CUMULATIVE TOTAL Title: 2017 (29th, 2nd) Bill 208, Government Organization (Utilities Consumer Advocate) Amendment Act, 2017

Document details

Collection	Alberta — Bills
Citation	L29 S3 11707
Type	bill
Volume / chapter	L29 S3 11707
Language	en
Format	json
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	0f361cbb2c036edd1dbb90d43bc44b09776564af

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