Ch. 725                                    1997 LAWS OF MARYLAND                           

(3)     Demand or collect any charge which for any reason violates any of the
provisions of this article; or

(4)     Assist, suffer or permit any of the things prohibited by this section to be
done by any means or device, including but not limited to false billing, false classification,
false weighing, or false report of weight.

(b)     No person shall accomplish or seek to accomplish any of the things prohibited
by subsection (a)(4) of this section, whether with or without the connivance or consent of
the public service company or any of its personnel.

(c)     (1) Unless the Commission otherwise orders, no public service company
shall establish any new rate or make any change in any rate except after thirty days'
notice, to the Commission, and publication, in accordance with § 28(a) of this article,
during all of said period by means of new schedules or plainly indicated amendments
upon the schedules in force and posted, which shall plainly set forth the changes proposed
to be made in the schedules then in force and the time when the change in rate is to go
into effect.                                                                                                     

(2) (I) THIS PARAGRAPH APPLIES TO A PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY
THAT:

1.       PROVIDES GAS OR ELECTRIC SERVICES;         

2.       IS SUBJECT TO A COST ALLOCATION MANUAL APPROVED
BY THE COMMISSION; AND

3.       A. ENGAGES IN A NONREGULATED BUSINESS
ACTIVITY; OR                                                                                               

B. HAS A SUBSIDIARY THAT ENGAGES IN A NONREGULATED
BUSINESS ACTIVITY; AND                                                                             

4.       DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARDS FOR RATE
PROCEEDINGS PROVIDED FOR UNDER § 69B OF THIS ARTICLE.

(II) WHEN A PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY SUBJECT TO THIS
PARAGRAPH FILES A REQUEST FOR A CHANGE IN ITS BASE RATE UNDER THIS
ARTICLE, OR HAS A MAJOR CHANGE IN ITS CORPORATE ORGANIZATION OR
STRUCTURE AS DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSION, THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY
SHALL FILE WITH THE REQUEST AN INDEPENDENT AUDIT OPINION PREPARED BY
AN ENTITY APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION THAT:

1.       CERTIFIES TO THE CONTINUING ACCURACY OF THE
PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY'S COST ALLOCATION MANUAL; OR

2.       IDENTIFIES ADJUSTMENTS THAT SHOULD BE MADE TO

THE MANUAL CONSISTENT WITH PRIOR COMMISSION RULINGS.               

(III) A PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY MAY NOT BE REQUIRED TO FILE
MORE THAN ONE INDEPENDENT AUDIT OPINION UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH WITHIN
A CONSECUTIVE 3-YEAR PERIOD.                                                               

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