Amends TCA Title 65, Chapter 1 and Title 65, Chapter 2.

ON MAY 4, 2021, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 242, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill to increase the membership of the public utility commission from five to seven members, increase from 30 days to 90 days the time period within which appointments to the commission must be confirmed by the general assembly, and increase from three commissioners to five commissioners the size of the panels to which the chair is required to assign matters before the commission. Under present law, the commission consists of: (1) One gubernatorial appointee; (2) One appointee of the speaker of the senate; (3) One appointee of the speaker of the house of representatives; and (4) Two appointees selected by joint agreement among the governor, the speaker of the senate, and the speaker of the house of representatives. Present law requires that each commissioner have at a minimum a bachelor's degree and at least three years' experience in a regulated utility industry, in executive level management, or in economics, law, finance, accounting, or engineering. This amendment instead requires that the commission consist of: (1) Two gubernatorial appointees; (2) Two appointees of the speaker of the senate; (3) Two appointees of the speaker of the house of representatives; and (4) One appointee selected by joint agreement among the governor, the speaker of the senate, and the speaker of the house of representatives. This amendment requires that one appointee of each speaker be a public member with no experience in a regulated utility industry.