Along with

this uniform information provision, the bill prohibits a marketer from

reporting a customer to the credit bureau based on a disputed bill without

conferring with a customer in good faith or gaining an actual judgment

in a court of law first. Along the same line, the bill requires the Public

Service Commission to compose rules to provide dispute resolution requirements

on marketers with retail customers related to disputed bills.

The next provision

of the bill allows for emergency price protection by the Public Service

Commission if there is clear and convincing evidence of collusion or price

fixing, any time there are three or fewer marketers serving a market.

The purpose of this provision is to stop price fixing.

The bill also

provides for universal service fund expansion. The universal service fund

expansion provides emergency relief for elder, fixed income, and low income

individuals who are hit by high bills especially in times of emergency

such as a bitter winter. In addition, the universal service fund is expanded

to provide assistance for retail customers to improve their homes with

energy conservation efforts.

"This

Natural Gas Bill of Rights is critical to all of Georgia's citizens and

businesses," said Hecht. "It is a first step. I have also passed

a study committee resolution to look at further improvements to help our

citizens," he said.

Hecht called

for a joint state/federal energy policy to encourage reserving, so that

a larger supply of natural gas exists for demand. "When a larger

supply is in existence, the price of natural gas will go down. We need

to do much more as well to protect our consumers. However, this is a good

start," he said.