,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bgga  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #e1  
#bjai,mr4 ,blumenthal 7for himself and  
,mr4 ,burr7 introduced the following    
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,energy and        
,natural ,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend the ,natural ,gas ,act to protect 
consumers from excessive rates1 and for 
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,making        
,pipelines ,accountable to ,consumers   
and ,taxpayers ,act or the ,,mpact ,act4
  #b4 ,hearing on changed rates or      
charges ,section #d7;e7 of the ,natural 
,gas ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #gag;c7e77 is  
amended by striking the third and fourth
 sentences and inserting the following3 
,where changes in rates or charges are  
thus made effective1 the ,commission    
may1 by order1 require the natural-gas  
company to furnish a bond1 to be        
approved by the ,commission1 to refund  
any amounts ordered by the ,commission1 

to keep accurate accounts in detail of  
all amounts received by reason of those 
changes1 specifying by whom and in whose
 behalf those amounts were paid1 and1 on
 completion of the hearing and decision1
 to order the natural-gas company to    
refund1 with interest1 the portion of   
those rates or charges by its decision  
found not justified4 ,at any hearing    
involving a rate or charge sought to be 
changed1 the burden of proof to show    
that the changed rate or charge is just 
and reasonable shall be on the          
natural-gas company1 and the ,commission
 shall give to the hearing and decision 
of such questions preference over other 
questions pending before the ,commission
 and decide the same as speedily as     
possible44  #c4 ,refunds ,section #e of 
the ,natural ,gas ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4   
#gag;d7 is amended-- 7#a7 by            
redesignating subsection 7b7 as         
subsection 7d72 and  7#b7 inserting     
after subsection 7a7 the following3  7b7
 ,refunds  7#a7 ,in general ,at the     

conclusion of any hearing under this    
section in which refunds of amounts that
 have been paid are required1 the       
,commission shall order the natural-gas 
company to make those refunds for the   
period beginning on the refund effective
 date established under paragraph 7#c7  
and ending on the date on which the new 
rate established by the ,commission     
under subsection 7a7 takes effect in    
amounts in excess of those amounts that 
would have been paid under the just and 
reasonable rate1 charge1 classification1
 rule1 regulation1 practice1 or contract
 that the ,commission orders to be      
observed and in force4  7#b7            
,requirement ,the refunds required under
 paragraph 7#a7 shall be made1 with     
interest1 to the persons who have paid  
the rates or charges that are the       
subject of the hearing4  7#c7 ,effective
 date  7,a7 ,in general ,the ,commission
 shall establish the refund effective   
date in accordance with this paragraph4 
7,b7 ,hearings initiated on complaint   

,in the case of a hearing initiated on a
 complaint1 the refund effective date   
shall be--  7i7 not earlier than the    
date on which the complaint was filed2  
and  7ii7 not later than #aej days after
 that date4  7,c7 ,hearing initiated on 
motion of ,commission ,in the case of a 
hearing initiated by the ,commission on 
its own motion1 the refund effective    
date shall be--  7i7 not earlier than   
the date on which the ,commission       
publishes notice of the intent to       
initiate the hearing2 and  7ii7 not     
later than #aej days after that date4   
7c7 ,no final decision ,if the          
,commission has not rendered a final    
decision for a hearing under this       
section by the end of the #ahj-;day     
period beginning on the date on which   
the hearing is initiated1 the           
,commission shall state--  7#a7 the     
reasons why the ,commission has failed  
to render a decision2 and  7#b7 the best
 estimate of the ,commission as to when 
the ,commission reasonably expects to   

render the decision4  4  #d4 ,effect    
7a7 ,in general ,the amendments made by 
sections #b and #c shall not apply to   
any proceeding under the ,natural ,gas  
,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #gag et seq47       
commenced before the date of enactment  
of this ,act4  7b7 ,refiling without    
prejudice ,a proceeding under the       
,natural ,gas ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #gag  
et seq47 commenced before the date of   
enactment of this ,act may be withdrawn 
and refiled without prejudice4  #e4     
,study  7a7 ,in general ,not earlier    
than #c years and not later than #d     
years after the date of enactment of    
this ,act1 the ,federal ,energy         
,regulatory ,commission shall conduct a 
study on the effect of the amendments   
made by sections #b and #c4  7b7        
,requirements ,the study under          
subsection 7a7 shall include an analysis
 of-- 7#a7 the impact1 if any1 of the   
amendments made by sections #b and #c on
 the cost of capital paid by natural-gas
 companies 7as defined in section #b of 

the ,natural ,gas ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4   
#gag;a772  7#b7 any change in the       
average time taken to resolve           
proceedings under sections #d and #e of 
the ,natural ,gas ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4   
#gag;c1 #gag;d72 and  7#c7 such other   
matters as the ,federal ,energy         
,regulatory ,commission may determine to
 be appropriate and in the public       
interest4  7c7 ,report ,on completion of
 the study under subsection 7a71 the    
,federal ,energy ,regulatory ,commission
 shall submit to the ,committee on      
,energy and ,natural ,resources of the  
,senate and the ,committee on ,energy   
and ,commerce of the ,house of          
,representatives a report describing the
 results of the study4