Sec. 16-46. Dissolution or termination of public service company. Cessation of public service operations. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 16-46. Dissolution or termination of public service company. Cessation of public service operations. (a) No public service company shall cease operations as a public service company, dissolve or terminate its corporate existence without the consent of the Department of Public Utility Control, except a water company, as defined in section 16-262n, shall not cease its operations, or unilaterally discontinue the provision of water service to customers without the consent of both the Department of Public Utility Control and the Department of Public Health. Upon receipt of a request from a water company to cease its operations or discontinue the provision of water service, the Department of Public Utility Control, in conjunction with the Department of Public Health, shall hold a public hearing and issue a final decision setting forth the actions the water company shall take to ensure a continuous supply of potable water at adequate volume and pressures, in accordance with the procedures and criteria set forth in sections 16-262n to 16-262q, inclusive.

      (b) Any public service company may, with such consent, or in the case of a water company, as defined in section 16-262n, for which a decision has been issued pursuant to section 16-262o, such water company shall, dissolve and terminate its corporate existence in the manner provided for dissolution and termination by such company's charter or certificate of incorporation, provided, if such charter or certificate requires stockholder approval, such approval shall be by not less than two-thirds of the voting power of the shares entitled to vote thereon. If there is no provision for dissolution and termination in such charter or certificate, such company may, with the consent of the Department of Public Utility Control, or in the case of a water company, the consent of both the Department of Public Utility Control and the Department of Public Health, dissolve and terminate its corporate existence in any manner provided in part XIV of chapter 601 in the case of a company organized with capital stock or part XI of chapter 602 in the case of a company organized without capital stock. Such dissolution and termination shall take effect upon (1) for a corporation, the filing with the Secretary of the State of a certificate of dissolution, and (2) for an unincorporated entity, the filing of a certificate of dissolution with the Department of Public Utility Control and the Department of Public Health. In the event of such cessation, dissolution or termination, all claims and rights of creditors shall constitute liens upon the property and franchises of the company and shall continue in existence as long as may be necessary to preserve the same.

      (1949 Rev., S. 5437; P.A. 75-486, S. 1, 69; P.A. 77-484; 77-614, S. 162, 610; P.A. 80-482, S. 79, 348; P.A. 95-118, S. 3; 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 96-256, S. 183, 209; 96-271, S. 160, 254; P.A. 06-196, S. 201.)

      History: P.A. 75-486 replaced public utilities commission with public utilities control authority; P.A. 77-484 replaced previous provision for dissolution upon unanimous vote of persons present at stockholders' meeting with detailed provisions for various manners of dissolution; P.A. 77-614 replaced the authority with division of public utility control within the department of business regulation, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 80-482 made division of public utility control an independent department and deleted reference to abolished department of business regulation; P.A. 95-118 divided section into Subsecs. and added provisions re water company hearing, decision issued pursuant to Sec. 16-262o, involvement of Department of Public Health and Addiction Services and effective date of dissolution of unincorporated entity; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-256 amended Subsec. (b) to replace reference to "part VIII of chapter 600" with "part XI of chapter 602", effective January 1, 1997; P.A. 96-271 amended Subsec. (b) to replace reference to "part X of chapter 599" with "part XIV of chapter 601", effective January 1, 1997; P.A. 06-196 made technical changes in Subsec. (b), effective June 7, 2006.