Missouri Laws 386.210 – Conferences, limitation on communications — cooperative agreements, ..
1. The commission may confer in person, or by correspondence, by attending conventions, or in any other way, with the members of the public, any public utility or similar commission of this and other states and the United States of America, or any official, agency or instrumentality thereof, on any matter relating to the performance of its duties.
2. Such communications may address any issue that at the time of such communication is not the subject of a case that has been filed with the commission.
Terms Used In Missouri Laws 386.210
- Commission: the "Public Service Commission" hereby created. See Missouri Laws 386.020
- Commissioner: one of the members of the commission. See Missouri Laws 386.020
- Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Exchange: a geographical area for the administration of telecommunications services, established and described by the tariff of a telecommunications company providing basic local telecommunications service. See Missouri Laws 386.020
- following: when used by way of reference to any section of the statutes, mean the section next preceding or next following that in which the reference is made, unless some other section is expressly designated in the reference. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- information: means knowledge or intelligence represented by any form of writing, signs, signals, pictures, sounds, or any other symbols. See Missouri Laws 386.020
- Person: includes an individual, and a firm or copartnership. See Missouri Laws 386.020
- Public utility: includes every pipeline corporation, gas corporation, electrical corporation, telecommunications company, water corporation, heating company or refrigerating corporation, and sewer corporation, as these terms are defined in this section, and each thereof is hereby declared to be a public utility and to be subject to the jurisdiction, control and regulation of the commission and to the provisions of this chapter. See Missouri Laws 386.020
- Railroad: includes every railroad and railway, other than street railroad or light rail, by whatsoever power operated for public use in the conveyance of persons or property for compensation, with all bridges, ferries, tunnels, equipment, switches, spurs, tracks, stations, real estate and terminal facilities of every kind used, operated, controlled or owned by or in connection with any such railroad. See Missouri Laws 386.020
- Service: includes not only the use and accommodations afforded consumers or patrons, but also any product or commodity furnished by any corporation, person or public utility and the plant, equipment, apparatus, appliances, property and facilities employed by any corporation, person or public utility in performing any service or in furnishing any product or commodity and devoted to the public purposes of such corporation, person or public utility, and to the use and accommodation of consumers or patrons. See Missouri Laws 386.020
- State: when applied to any of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- United States: includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020
3. Such communications may also address substantive or procedural matters that are the subject of a pending filing or case in which no evidentiary hearing has been scheduled, provided that the communication:
(1) Is made at a public agenda meeting of the commission where such matter has been posted in advance as an item for discussion or decision;
(2) Is made at a forum where representatives of the public utility affected thereby, the office of public counsel, and any other party to the case are present; or
(3) If made outside such agenda meeting or forum, is subsequently disclosed to the public utility, the office of the public counsel, and any other party to the case in accordance with the following procedure:
(a) If the communication is written, the person or party making the communication shall no later than the next business day following the communication file a copy of the written communication in the official case file of the pending filing or case and serve it upon all parties of record;
(b) If the communication is oral, the party making the oral communication shall no later than the next business day following the communication file a memorandum in the official case file of the pending case disclosing the communication and serve such memorandum on all parties of record. The memorandum must contain a summary of the substance of the communication and not merely a listing of the subjects covered.
4. Nothing in this section or any other provision of law shall be construed as imposing any limitation on the free exchange of ideas, views, and information between any person and the commission or any commissioner, provided that such communications relate to matters of general regulatory policy and do not address the merits of the specific facts, evidence, claims, or positions presented or taken in a pending case unless such communications comply with the provisions of subsection 3 of this section.
5. The commission and any commissioner may also advise any member of the general assembly or other governmental official of the issues or factual allegations that are the subject of a pending case, provided that the commission or commissioner does not express an opinion as to the merits of such issues or allegations, and may discuss in a public agenda meeting with parties to a case in which an evidentiary hearing has been scheduled, any procedural matter in such case or any matter relating to a unanimous stipulation or agreement resolving all of the issues in such case.
6. The commission may enter into and establish fair and equitable cooperative agreements or contracts with or act as an agent or licensee for the United States of America, or any official, agency or instrumentality thereof, or any public utility or similar commission of other states, that are proper, expedient, fair and equitable and in the interest of the state of Missouri and the citizens thereof, for the purpose of carrying out its duties pursuant to section 386.250 as limited and supplemented by section 386.030 and to that end the commission may receive and disburse any contributions, grants or other financial assistance as a result of or pursuant to such agreements or contracts. Any contributions, grants or other financial assistance so received shall be deposited in the public service commission utility fund or the state highway commission fund depending upon the purposes for which they are received.
7. The commission may make joint investigations, hold joint hearings within or without the state, and issue joint or concurrent orders in conjunction or concurrence with any railroad, public utility or similar commission, of other states or the United States of America, or any official, agency or any instrumentality thereof, except that in the holding of such investigations or hearings, or in the making of such orders, the commission shall function under agreements or contracts between states or under the concurrent power of states to regulate interstate commerce, or as an agent of the United States of America, or any official, agency or instrumentality thereof, or otherwise.
8. The commission may appear, participate, and intervene in any federal, state, or other administrative, regulatory, or judicial proceeding. This subsection applies to all proceedings now pending or commenced after August 28, 2013.