WASHINGTON UTILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION PLAN FOR RULES REVIEW UNDER EXECUTIVE ORDER 97-02 Draft Copy current through August 28, 1997 Schedule For the Commission’s schedule for review see Attachment A, Time Line for Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission Rule Review, Docket No. A-971104. Public Participation The Commission is committed to public participation in every step of this process. To keep the process accessible, the Commission will continually provide opportunities for the public to get involved. Right from the beginning, interested parties have been working with the Commission. The Commission sent notice to interested persons letting them know that the rules review process was starting. In addition, the notice invited these stakeholders to participate in a workshop dedicated to the rules review. At the workshop, Commission Staff took comments on the agencies’ draft rules review plan. The Commission will continue to involve the public by providing a rule review workshop for every chapter of the WAC, information on the agency web page, a dedicated rules review E-mail address, and information in the Commission’s Consumer Newsletter. Review Methodology Commission’s Staff will conduct the rules review. Public participation will be utilized in the process. The review team will take public comments at several stages in the process. Because the rules review will be conducted in accordance with the standards of a normal Commission rule making, the public can take advantage of Commission procedures ensuring public input is taken seriously. The Commission’s management team will assign WAC chapters to appropriate Commission Staff members. At the beginning of the review for a WAC chapter, the Commission will issue a CR-101 and receive initial comments on the review. The Staff review team will use these comments to assist them in making the review. The review team will review the chapter using the Executive Order’s criteria of need, effectiveness and efficiency, clarity, intent and statutory authority, coordination, cost, and fairness. The results of the review will then be available for public comment. The Commission will use the review team report and public comments to decide whether to amend, repeal or leave the rule as it is. One of the major emphasis of the rules review is to make sure that the rules are well written and easily understood. Commission Staff members will receive clear rule writing training before they begin the review process. This training will be coordinated so that the Staff member receives training at the same time that they are beginning the review. Legislative Changes The Commission will continue to follow its standard procedure of consulting with the Governor’s office when the commission feels legislative action is needed. Exemptions The Commission will not ask for any exemptions from the Executive Order’s requirement to review all significant rules. Process for Ongoing Review At the end of this four year review, the Commission will continue to review its rules on a periodic bases. Every two years the Commission will invite the public to recommend rules that need to be reviewed by the Commission Staff. The Staff will then conduct a rules review under the guidelines of this plan. TIME LINE FOR WASHINGTON UTILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION RULE REVIEW DOCKET NO. A-971104 ATTACHMENT "A” All rule chapters refer to Title 480 of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC). The date represents the proposed year for completion of the review. Most policy and interpretive statements can be tied to a particular chapter of the WAC. The policy or interpretive statement will be reviewed when the chapter it is tied to is reviewed. 1997 Chapter: Topic: -04 Public access to information and records -09 Procedures -11 SEPA procedures -35 Limousine charter carriers - Repeal -69 Railroad companies - Track scales Repeal -150 Compliance with Economic Stabilization Act of 1970 Repeal 1998 -12 Motor Carriers -14 Motor carriers, excluding household goods carriers and common carrier brokers -60 Railroad companies - Clearances -62 Railroad companies - Operations -63 Railroad companies - Weighing - Repeal -66 Railroad companies - Sanitation -92 Low-level radioactive waste -95 Heat suppliers -110 Water companies -121 Registration of telecommunications companies -122 Washington telephone assistance program -143 Transfers of property -146 Securities, liens, affiliated interests, refunding of notes, lease of utility facilities 1999 -30 Auto transportation companies -40 Passenger charter carriers -70 Solid waste and/or refuse collection companies -80 Utilities general - tariffs -90 Gas companies - Operations -107 Electric companies - Purchase of electricity from qualifying facilities and independent power producers and purchases of electrical savings from conservation suppliers -120 Telephone companies -140 Commission general - Budgets -149 Tariff Circular No. 6 2000 -50 Passenger and ferry steamboat companies -51 Commercial ferries -75 Petroleum pipeline companies -93 Gas companies - Safety -100 Electric companies 1997 Policy Statement A-950243 Relating to Alternative Dispute Resolution Policy Statement A-940351 Policy Statement on Alternate Dispute Resolution Techniques and Case Management 1998 Policy Statement A-921197 Financial and Rate Impacts of FASB 106 Interpretive Statement UW-930006 Interprets RCW 80.04.010 and WAC 480-110-023 Policy Statement UE-940932 Guiding Principles for Regulation in Electric Industry 1999 Policy Statement UT-970546 Suspension of Action on New Requests for Extended Area Service (WAC 480-120-400) Policy Statement UG-970001 Purchase of Gas Adjustment Mechanisms Interpretive Statement UT-960269 Interpretive and policy statement regarding negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and approval of agreements under the Telecommunications Act of 1996