Sec. 6.1. (a) The consumer counselor may employ and fix the compensation of, with the approval of the governor and the budget agency, accountants, utility economists, engineers, attorneys, stenographers, or other assistance necessary to carry out the duties of the office. The compensation of the consumer counselor and the counselor’s 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 a contingency fund established under IC 8-1-6-1.

     (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.

     (c) The consumer counselor may employ, with the approval of 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 governor and the budget agency may approve for a particular case or investigation. The compensation for the 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 a 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.

     (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; P.L.9-2024, SEC.277.