1778                               Laws of Maryland                        [Ch. 791

(2) Computations required by the provisions of subsection (a)
(6) shall be made by the Executive Director, in accordance with
regulations prescribed by the United States Secretary of Labor.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 1971.

Approved May 28, 1971.

CHAPTER 791
(House Bill 1170)

AN ACT to add new Section 54B to Article 78 of the Annotated Code
of Maryland (1969 Replacement Volume and 1970 Supplement),
title "Public Service Commission Law," subtitle "Public Service
Companies," subheading "Gas and Electric Companies," to follow
immediately after Section 54A thereof, to provide that gas and
electric companies shall bill customers on the basis of the net
total cost of the service, to authorize the Public Service Commis-
sion to allow an additional charge on past due bills, to provide
restrictions on the additional charge allowed, and to require that
rates in excess of those permitted be revised by a certain date.

WHEREAS, THERE IS A WIDE DISPARITY BETWEEN
LATE CHARGES PRESENTLY LEVIED BY THE STATE'S 17
ELECTRIC UTILITIES, 10 GAS UTILITIES, AND 2 GAS AND
ELECTRIC UTILITIES RANGING FROM ZERO TO EIGHTEEN
PERCENT (0-18%) PER MONTH; AND

WHEREAS, THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION REPORT
SUBMITTED TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON FEBRUARY
3, 1971, STATED NINE COMPANIES NOW HAVE A DIFFER-
ENTIAL IN EXCESS OF FIVE PERCENT (5%) PER MONTH;
AND

WHEREAS, THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION INDI-
CATED IN THAT SAME REPORT THAT SUCH DIFFEREN-
TIAL SHOULD NOT EXCEED FIVE (5%) PER MONTH; AND

WHEREAS, THE STATE'S LARGEST GAS AND ELECTRIC
UTILITY HAS IN THE PROCEEDING NOW PENDING BEFORE
THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION REFLECTED THIS RE-
DUCTION TO FIVE PERCENT (5%) PER MONTH IN ITS RATE
FILING; AND

WHEREAS, THIS REPRESENTS A REDUCTION FROM TEN
PERCENT (10%) PER MONTH TO FIVE PERCENT (5%) PER
MONTH FOR A MAJOR SEGMENT OF MARYLAND'S CITI-
ZENS; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That new Section 54B be and it is hereby added to Article 78 of the
Annotated Code of Maryland (1969 Replacement Volume and 1970