Indiana Code 8-1-1.1-6.1. Professional and other employees; additional staff for particular cases; charge and payment of expenses; technical equipment; costs and duties under TDSIC statute
(b) The consumer counselor may make use of engineers, experts, and accountants employed by the commission or the Indiana department of transportation and direct them to make appraisals and audits in the performance of the consumer counselor’s duties under this chapter and IC 8-1-1 and IC 8-1-2. In so doing, the consumer counselor shall have access to the records and files of the commission or the Indiana department of transportation.
Terms Used In Indiana Code 8-1-1.1-6.1
- Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
- commission: refers to the Indiana utility regulatory commission. See Indiana Code 8-1-1-1
- Counselor: means the consumer counselor established under section 2 of this chapter. See Indiana Code 8-1-1.1-1
- Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
- Utility: means any public utility, municipally owned utility or subscriber owned utility under the jurisdiction of the commission. See Indiana Code 8-1-1.1-1
(d) Expenses incurred by the regular staff of the office and approved by the consumer counselor, or an expense incurred by the commission or the Indiana department of transportation under subsection (b), shall be charged and paid in the manner provided in IC 8-1-2-70 or IC 8-1-6, whichever is appropriate under the circumstances.
(e) Nothing in this chapter may be construed to prevent a party interested in a proceeding, suit, or action from appearing in person or from being represented by counsel.
(f) Persons hired by the consumer counselor as provided by this section are exempt from the job classifications and compensation schedules established under IC 4-15.
(g) The consumer counselor may purchase, lease, or otherwise acquire sufficient technical equipment necessary for the consumer counselor to carry out the consumer counselor’s statutory duties.
(h) The consumer counselor may submit to the budget agency a request for funds sufficient to carry out any new duties or responsibilities created under IC 8-1-39-12(b). The consumer counselor shall include in its annual report to the interim study committee on energy, utilities, and telecommunications:
(1) a description of its activities under IC 8-1-39-12(b); and
(2) a summary of the costs associated with those activities.
As added by P.L.1-1990, SEC.97. Amended by P.L.133-2013, SEC.2; P.L.149-2016, SEC.33.