§ 8-1-1.1-9.1 — Deputy consumer counselor for Washington affairs

Indiana § 8-1-1.1-9.1

• Jurisdiction: Indiana
• Art. 1: UTILITIES GENERALLY
• Ch. 1.1: Office of the Utility Consumer Counselor

Text

1. (a) The governor may appoint a deputy
consumer counselor for Washington affairs. The utility consumer
counselor may advise the governor in the appointment of a deputy
consumer counselor for Washington affairs.
(b) The deputy consumer counselor shall serve for a term of four (4)
years at a salary to be fixed by the governor. The deputy shall serve at
the pleasure of the governor. The deputy consumer counselor shall be
a practicing attorney, and qualified by knowledge and experience to
practice in utility regulatory agency proceedings. The deputy consumer
counselor shall apply full efforts to the duties of the office and may not
be actively engaged in any other occupation, practice, profession, or
business.
(c) The deputy consumer counselor may appear on behalf of
ratepayers, consumers, and the public in:
(1) hearings before the federal energy regulatory commission;
(2) appeals from the orders of the federal energy regulatory
commission; and
(3) all other proceedings, including proceedings before federal
agencies, and suits and actions in which the subject matter of the
action affects the consumers of a utility, motor carrier, or railroad
doing business in Indiana.
(d) The deputy consumer counselor may establish and maintain an
office in Washington, D.C. The deputy consumer counselor may, with
the approval of the consumer counselor, the governor, and the budget
agency employ and fix the compensation of accountants, utility
economists, engineers, attorneys, stenographers, or other assistance
necessary to carry out the duties of the office of the deputy consumer
counselor. The compensation of the deputy consumer counselor and the
staff shall be paid from an appropriation made for that purpose by the
general assembly, or with the approval of the governor and the budget
agency, from the contingency fund established under IC 8-1-6-1.
(e) The deputy consumer counselor may employ, with the approval
of the consumer counselor, the governor, and the budget agency,
additional stenographers, examiners, experts, engineers, assistant
counselors, accountants, and consulting firms with expertise in utility,
motor carrier, or railroad economics or management or both, at salaries
and compensation and for a length of time as the consumer counselor,
the governor, and the budget agency may approve for a particular case
or investigation. The compensation for additional personnel together
with the cost of transportation, hotel, telegram, and telephone bills
while traveling on public business shall be paid from the expert witness
fee account, or, with the approval of the governor and the budget
agency, from the contingency fund established under IC 8-1-6-1 on
warrants drawn by the state comptroller, sworn to by the parties who
incurred the expenses.
(f) Any expenses incurred by the regular staff of the office of the
deputy consumer counselor and approved by the deputy consumer
counselor shall be charged and paid from the contingency fund
established under IC 8-1-6-1.

Legislative History

As added by P.L.1-1990, SEC.101. Amended by P.L.9-2024, SEC.278.