SENATE, No. 2469

Senate, January 16, 2008

The committee on Telecommunication, Utilities and Energy to whom was referred the petition (accompanied by petition, Senate, No. 1980 ), relative to regulating public entities licensed by the Department of Telecommunications and Energy, reported, recommending that the same ought to pass, with an amendment substituting a new draft of the same title (Senate, No. 2469).

Pamela P. Resor,
For the committee.

Version with line numberspdf logo

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Seal of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.


AN ACT REGULATING PUBLIC ENTITIES LICENSED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND ENERGY.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1.   Clause Twenty-sixth of section 7 of chapter 4 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2006 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following subclause-

(r) trade secrets or confidential, competitively-sensitive or other proprietary information provided in the course of activities conducted by a governmental body as an energy supplier under a license granted by the department of public utilities pursuant to section 1F of chapter 164, in the course of activities conducted as a municipal aggregator under section 134 of said chapter 164 or in the course of activities conducted by a cooperative consisting of governmental entities organized pursuant to section 136 of said chapter 164, when such governmental body, municipal aggregator or cooperative determines that such disclosure will adversely affect its ability to conduct business in relation to other entities making, selling or distributing electric power and energy; provided, however, that this subclause shall not exempt a public entity from disclosure required of a private entity so licensed.

SECTION 2. Section 1 of chapter 30B of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word contract, in lines 98 and 99, the following words:- ; provided further, that for any such contract determined to contain confidential information under subclause (r) of section 7 of chapter 4, the governmental body shall instead maintain a record of the procurement processes and awards for 6 years after the date of the final payment. The governmental body shall make such records available to the inspector general upon demand request; provided, however, that the inspector general shall not disclose the information.

SECTION 3.  The fourth paragraph of section 9G of chapter 34 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following clause:-

(8) To discuss trade secrets or confidential, competitively-sensitive or other proprietary information provided in the course of activities conducted by a governmental body as an energy supplier under a license granted by the department of public utilities pursuant to section 1F of chapter 164, in the course of activities conducted as a municipal aggregator under section 134 of said chapter 164 or in the course of activities conducted by a cooperative consisting of governmental entities organized pursuant to section 136 of said chapter 164, when such governmental body, municipal aggregator or cooperative determines that such disclosure will adversely affect its ability to conduct business in relation to other entities making, selling or distributing electric power and energy.

SECTION 4. Section 23B of chapter 39 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following clause:-

(10) To discuss trade secrets or confidential, competitively-sensitive or other proprietary information provided in the course of activities conducted by a governmental body as an energy supplier under a license granted by the department of public utilities pursuant to section 1F of chapter 164, in the course of activities conducted as a municipal aggregator under section 134 of said chapter 164 or in the course of activities conducted by a cooperative consisting of governmental entities organized pursuant to section 136 of said chapter 164, when such governmental body, municipal aggregator or cooperative determines that such disclosure will adversely affect its ability to conduct business in relation to other entities making, selling or distributing electric power and energy.