§ 34-1407. Extension of conduits; ducts for use of fire and police wires; maximum price of current; additional charge for nonpayment of bills.

Prior Codifications

1981 Ed., § 43-1207.

1973 Ed., § 43-1107.

Effect of Amendments

D.C. Law 13-107 deleted from the text the following concluding provisions: "As a condition for the right to use conduits built prior to March 3, 1899, or built or to be built under the provisions of this section, the electric lighting companies shall be required at all times to furnish to the public and to private consumers in all parts of the District of Columbia standard arc lights of not less than 1,000 actual candlepower, at a rate not exceeding $72 per annum for each arc light, The maximum price of electric current sold or furnished to any consumer in the District of Columbia shall not exceed $.10 per kilowatt hour. If consumers other than the government shall not pay monthly electric bills within 10 days after the same shall have been presented, said companies may charge and collect from said consumer so failing to pay said bill as aforesaid $.11 per kilowatt hour for the electric current furnished to said consumer during said month; and provided further, the right to amend, modify, or repeal the privileges granted in this section, and to further limit the prices herein specified, is hereby expressly reserved; any company charging or collecting an amount in excess of the rates prescribed in this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall pay to the District of Columbia the sum of $50 for each and every offense, to be collected as other fines are collected in the District of Columbia."

Legislative History of Laws

Law 13-107, the "Retail Electric Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 1999," was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 13-284, which was referred to the Committee on Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. The Bill was adopted on first and second readings on December 7, 1999, and December 21, 1999, respectively. Signed by the Mayor on January 18, 2000, it was assigned Act No. 13-256 and transmitted to both Houses of Congress for its review. D.C. Law 13-107 became effective on May 9, 2000.

Change in Government

This section originated at a time when local government powers were delegated to a Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia (see Acts Relating to the Establishment of the District of Columbia and its Various Forms of Governmental Organization in Volume 1). Section 402(320) of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967 (see Reorganization Plans in Volume 1) transferred all of the functions of the Board of Commissioners under this section to the District of Columbia Council, subject to the right of the Commissioner as provided in § 406 of the Plan. The District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act, 87 Stat. 818, § 711 (D.C. Code, § 1-207.11), abolished the District of Columbia Council and the Office of Commissioner of the District of Columbia. These branches of government were replaced by the Council of the District of Columbia and the Office of Mayor of the District of Columbia, respectively. Accordingly, and also pursuant to § 714(a) of such Act (D.C. Code, § 1-207.14(a)), appropriate changes in terminology were made in this section.

Miscellaneous Notes

Deregulation of streetlighting service: § 130 of H.R. 3067, amended by H.R. 99-419, incorporated in Pub. L. 99-190 by § 101(c), the D.C. Appropriation Act, 1986, provided that the Public Service Commission is authorized to order and to approve the deregulation of streetlighting service to the District of Columbia as provided in its opinion and order in Formal Case No. 813, dated July 12, 1984 (Order No. 8056), § 34-204.93, § 34-1101, and this section, and provided that the provisions of this opinion and order regarding deregulation of streetlighting service are hereby ratified and declared to be in effect as of July 12, 1984 and shall continue to be in effect until revoked or rescinded.