(a)  To implement the legislative policy set forth in § 39-1-1 and to serve as the agencies of the state in effectuating the legislative purpose, there are hereby established a public utilities commission and a division of public utilities and carriers. The commission shall serve as a quasi-judicial tribunal with jurisdiction, powers, and duties to implement and enforce the standards of conduct under § 39-1-27.6 and to hold investigations and hearings involving the rates, tariffs, tolls, and charges, and the sufficiency and reasonableness of facilities and accommodations of railroad, gas, electric distribution, water, telephone, telegraph, and pipeline public utilities; the location of railroad depots and stations, and the control of grade crossings; the revocation, suspension, or alteration of certificates issued pursuant to § 39-19-4; appeals under § 39-1-30; petitions under § 39-1-31; and proceedings under § 39-1-32.

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Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 39-1-3

  • Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
  • Commission: means the public utilities commission. See Rhode Island General Laws 39-1-2
  • Commissioner: means a member of the public utilities commission. 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
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
  • Railroad: means and includes every railroad other than a street railway, by whatsoever power, operated for public use in the conveyance in this state of persons or property for compensation, with all bridges, ferries, tunnels, switches, spurs, tracks, stations, wharves, and terminal facilities of every kind, used, operated, controlled, leased, or owned by or in connection with any railroad. See Rhode Island General Laws 39-1-2

(b)  The administrator shall be a person who is not a commissioner and who shall exercise the jurisdiction, supervision, powers, and duties not specifically assigned to the commission, including the execution of all laws relating to public utilities and carriers and all regulations and orders of the commission governing the conduct and charges of public utilities and who shall perform other duties and have powers as are hereinafter set forth. The administrator shall be a person who is appointed by the governor for an initial term of six (6) years. The administrator shall be appointed with the advice and consent of the senate. The director of administration, with the approval of the governor, shall allocate the administrator to one of the grades established by the pay plan for unclassified employees. The public utilities administrator also shall have powers and duties as provided in § 46-15.3-20.

History of Section.
P.L. 1969, ch. 240, § 1; P.L. 1973, ch. 199, § 1; P.L. 1980, ch. 335, § 6; P.L. 1995, ch. 188, § 3; P.L. 1996, ch. 316, § 1.