Bill > HB657

This bill makes several changes to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and its nominating council, which is responsible for recommending candidates for PUC commissioner positions. Key provisions include requiring that at least one PUC commissioner be a consumer representative selected from a list provided by the office of the consumers' counsel, and that no commissioner appointed after the bill's effective date can have current or past affiliations or business dealings with entities regulated by the PUC. The bill also clarifies that commissioner applicants must disclose all services rendered to public utilities, regardless of payment, and that their applications are public records. For the nominating council itself, members appointed after the bill's effective date (with one exception) cannot have current or past affiliations or business dealings with regulated entities, and cannot hold stocks or have a financial interest in them. Additionally, council interviews must be conducted in public meetings, and most council members will have a two-year term limit, with the chairperson and secretary serving a maximum of two one-year terms in those roles. Finally, the PUC will be required to make information about the nominating council's operations, including member and applicant biographies, meeting details, and video recordings, publicly available on its website, and to provide opportunities for public comment on the process and applicants.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/hb657