Iowa Code 475A.2 – Duties
Current as of: 2023 | Check for updates
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The consumer advocate shall:
1. Investigate the legality of all rates, charges, rules, regulations, and practices of all persons under the jurisdiction of the utilities board, and institute civil proceedings before the board or any court to correct any illegality on the part of any such person. In any such investigation, the person acting for the office of the consumer advocate shall have the power to ask the board to issue subpoenas, compel the attendance and testimony of witnesses, and the production of papers, books, and documents, at the discretion of the board.
Terms Used In Iowa Code 475A.2
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Person: means an individual, partnership, firm, corporation, or association. See Iowa Code 462A.2
- Rule: includes "regulation". See Iowa Code 4.1
- state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
- Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
2. Act as attorney for and represent all consumers generally and the public generally in all proceedings before the utilities board.
3. Institute as a party judicial review of any decision of the utilities board, if the consumer advocate deems judicial review to be in the public interest.
4. Appear for all consumers generally and the public generally in all actions instituted in any state or federal court which involve the validity of a rule, regulation, or order of the utilities board.
5. Act as attorney for and represent all consumers generally and the public generally in proceedings before federal and state agencies and related judicial review proceedings and appeals, at the discretion of the consumer advocate.
6. Appear and participate as a party in the name of the office of consumer advocate in the performance of the duties of the office.