§ 386.420 — Persons entitled to be heard — commission to make report, when — depositions authorized — may enforce attendance at hearings — record of proceedings to be kept — detailed reconciliation required, when.

Missouri § 386.420

• Jurisdiction: Missouri
• Title XXV: INCORPORATION AND REGULATION OF CERTAIN UTILITIES AND CARRIERS
• Ch. 386: Public Service Commission

Text

1.  At the time fixed for any hearing before the commission or a commissioner, or the time to which the same may have been continued, the complainant, the public counsel and the corporation, person or public utility complained of, and such corporations and persons as the commission may allow to intervene, shall be entitled to be heard and to introduce evidence.  The commission shall issue process to enforce the attendance of all necessary witnesses.

2.  Whenever an investigation shall be made by the commission, it shall be its duty, to make a report in writing in respect thereto, which shall state the conclusions of the commission, together with its decision, order or requirement in the premises.  The commission or any commissioner or any party may, in any investigation or hearing before the commission, cause the deposition of witnesses residing within or without the state to be taken in the manner prescribed by law for like depositions in civil actions in the circuit courts of this state and to that end may compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of books, waybills, documents, papers, memoranda and accounts.  Witnesses whose depositions are taken as provided in this section and the officer taking the same shall severally be entitled to the same fees as are paid for like services in the circuit courts of this state.

3.  If an order cannot, in the judgment of the commission, be complied with within thirty days, the commission may grant and prescribe such additional time as in its judgment is reasonably necessary to comply with the order, and may, on application and for good cause shown, extend the time for compliance fixed in its order.

4.  A full and complete record shall be made of all proceedings before the commission or any commissioner on any formal hearing had, and all testimony shall be taken down by a reporter appointed by the commission, and the parties shall be entitled to be heard in person or by attorney.  Preparation of a printed transcript may be waived by unanimous consent of all the parties.  In case of an action to review any order or decision of the commission, a transcript of such testimony, together with all exhibits or copies thereof introduced and all information secured by the commission on its own initiative and considered by it in rendering its order or decision, and of the pleadings, record and proceedings in the cause, shall constitute the record of the commission; provided, that on review of an order or decision of the commission, the appellant and the commission may stipulate that a certain question or questions alone and a specified portion only of the evidence shall be certified to the reviewing court for its judgment, whereupon such stipulation and the question or questions and the evidence therein specified shall constitute the record on review.  In any proceeding resulting in the establishment of new rates for a public utility that is not classified as a price-cap or competitive company, the commission shall cause to be prepared, with the assistance of the parties to such proceeding, and shall approve, after allowing the parties a reasonable opportunity to provide written input, a detailed reconciliation containing the dollar value and rate or charge impact of each contested issue decided by the commission, and the customer class billing determinants used by the commission to calculate the rates and charges approved by the commission in such proceeding.  Such information shall be sufficient to permit a reviewing court and the commission on remand from a reviewing court to determine how the public utility's rates and charges, including the rates and charges for each customer class, would need to be temporarily and, if applicable, permanently adjusted to provide customers or the public utility with any monetary relief that may be due in accordance with the procedures set forth in section 386.520 .  In the event there is any dispute over the value of a particular issue or the correctness of a billing determinant, the commission shall also include in the reconciliation a quantification of the dollar value and rate or charge impact associated with the dispute.

Legislative History

(RSMo 1939 § 5688, A.L. 1977 H.B. 42 & 157, A.L. 1978 H.B. 1634, A.L. 1990 H.B. 1315, A.L. 2011 S.B. 48) Prior revisions: 1929 § 5232; 1919 § 10520 Effective 7-01-11 Administrative procedure and review, Chap. 536 (1960) Commission did not abuse its discretion in denying application of water user and protestant against allowance of water rate increase to be made a party to the proceedings since he had no interest in the case different from that of the general public. Smith v. Public Service Commission of Missouri (Mo.), 336 S.W.2d 491.