Relates to settlement discussions before the public service commission

This bill modifies rules for settlement discussions at the Public Service Commission to allow certain issues to be kept separate from public negotiations. It directly affects parties involved in utility rate proceedings, such as customers, companies, and government agencies. Under the new rules, a party can ask to remove specific legal or factual arguments from settlement talks if they were raised in their initial testimony, provided this request is made within ten days of the reply testimony deadline. If the judge approves the request, those issues cannot be discussed during the first sixty days of settlement negotiations unless the party explicitly agrees to include them later. The legislation also clarifies how parties can appeal these decisions and defines key terms like "substantive issue" and "joint proposal" to ensure clarity in the process.