Rhode Island General Laws 39-1-20. Assistance for investigations and hearings
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Whenever the commission or the division shall conduct an investigation or hearing upon a proposal by a public utility to increase its rates, tolls, or charges, or to issue stocks, bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness, or to merge or consolidate with another company, it may employ legal counsel, official stenographers, and expert witnesses, and may designate disinterested persons free from bias, prejudice, and pecuniary interest in the matter concerned, to examine into and testify regarding the matters involved and all collateral issues at all hearings and in any appeal procedures until final determination in law has been had.
History of Section.
P.L. 1969, ch. 240, § 1; P.L. 1973, ch. 199, § 1.
Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 39-1-20
- Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
- Commission: means the public utilities commission. See Rhode Island General Laws 39-1-2
- Company: means and includes a person, firm, partnership, corporation, quasi-municipal corporation, association, joint-stock association or company, and his, her, its, or their lessees, trustees, or receivers appointed by any court. See Rhode Island General Laws 39-1-2
- Division: means the division of public utilities and carriers. See Rhode Island General Laws 39-1-2
- Public utility: means and includes every company that is an electric distribution company and every company operating or doing business in intrastate commerce and in this state as a railroad, street railway, common carrier, gas, liquefied natural gas, water, telephone, telegraph, and pipeline company, and every company owning, leasing, maintaining, managing, or controlling any plant or equipment, or any part of any plant or equipment, within this state for manufacturing, producing, transmitting, distributing, delivering, or furnishing natural or manufactured gas, directly or indirectly, to or for the public, or any cars or equipment employed on, or in connection with, any railroad or street railway for public or general use within this state, or any pipes, mains, poles, wires, conduits, fixtures, through, over, across, under, or along any public highways, parkways, or streets, public lands, waters, or parks for the transmission, transportation, or distribution of gas for sale to the public for light, heat, cooling, or power for providing audio or visual telephonic or telegraphic communication service within this state, or any pond, lake, reservoir, stream, well, or distributing plant or system employed for the distribution of water to the consuming public within this state, including the water supply board of the city of Providence; provided, that, except as provided in § 39-16-9 and in P. See Rhode Island General Laws 39-1-2
- Testify: Answer questions in court.