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<section article="gpu" article_name="Public Utilities" number="7-310" title_number="7" title_name="Gas, Electric, and Water Companies" subtitle_number="3" subtitle_name="Consumer Relations">
  <level label="a">
    <text>In this section, “Fund” means the Education and Protection Fund.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>There is an Education and Protection Fund.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The purpose of the Fund is to provide resources to improve the Commission’s ability to:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>educate customers on:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>retail electric and gas choice; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>energy choices that help meet the State’s climate commitments under § 7–319 of this subtitle and § 2–1204.2 of the Environment Article;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>protect customers from unfair, false, misleading, or deceptive practices by electricity suppliers, energy salespersons, energy vendors, or gas suppliers; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>develop a training and educational program for electricity suppliers, gas suppliers, energy salespersons, and energy vendors as provided under § 7–311 of this subtitle.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>The Commission shall administer the Fund.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Fund is a special, nonlapsing fund that is not subject to § 7–302 of the State Finance and Procurement Article.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The State Treasurer shall hold the Fund separately, and the Comptroller shall account for the Fund.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>The Fund consists of:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>revenue distributed to the Fund under § 13–201(e)(3) of this article;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>money appropriated in the State budget to the Fund; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>any other money from any other source accepted for the benefit of the Fund.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>The Fund may be used only to:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>educate retail electric or gas customers on retail choice and energy choices that help to meet the State’s climate commitments under § 7–319 of this subtitle and § 2–1204.2 of the Environment Article;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>improve customer protections for retail electric or gas customers; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>develop a training and educational program for electricity suppliers, gas suppliers, energy salespersons, and energy vendors as provided under § 7–311 of this subtitle.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The State Treasurer shall invest the money of the Fund in the same manner as other State money may be invested.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Any investment earnings of the Fund shall be credited to the General Fund of the State.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="i">
    <text>Expenditures from the Fund may be made only in accordance with the State budget.</text>
  </level>
</section>
