§ 39-3-10. Filing and availability of rate schedules.
(a) Every public utility shall file with the public utilities administrator, within a time to be fixed by the administrator, schedules that shall be open to public inspection, showing all rates, tolls, and charges it has established and that are in force at the time for any service performed by it within the state, or for any service in connection therewith or performed by any public utility controlled or operated by it. A copy of so much of the schedules as the administrator shall deem necessary for the use of the public shall be printed in plain type, or typewritten, and kept on file in every station or office of the public utility where payments are made by the consumers or users, open to the public in such form and place as to be readily accessible and conveniently inspected, and as the administrator may order. The administrator may determine and prescribe the form in which the schedules, required by this section to be kept open to the public inspection, shall be prepared and arranged, provided, that with respect to public utilities subject to the federal Interstate Commerce Act, 49 U.S.C. § 501 et seq., so-called, the form of the schedules shall be that as from time to time prescribed by the Interstate Commerce Commission.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) herein, a public utility may post on its website the rates, tolls, and charges of any retail telecommunications service performed by it within the state for any business customers. Subsection (a) herein shall not apply to any service so posted, and such public utility shall not be required to file with the public utilities administrator or publish any schedule or tariff for such service. Upon written notice to the public utilities administrator, the public utility may withdraw any schedule or tariff previously filed with the administrator for any service so posted.
(c) Nothing in subsection (b) herein or in § 39-2-5(12) shall derogate from the statutory authority of the commission or of the division, including, but not limited to, the authority to protect ratepayers from unreasonable rates. Nor shall anything in subsection (b) herein or in § 39-2-5(12) derogate from the common law or statutory authority of the attorney general, including, but not limited to, the authority to enforce consumer protection or unfair or deceptive trade practice statutes and regulations.
History of Section.P.L. 1912, ch. 795, § 48; P.L. 1918, ch. 1651, § 1; G.L. 1923, ch. 253, § 48; G.L. 1938, ch. 122, § 45; P.L. 1949, ch. 2172, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 39-3-10; P.L. 2011, ch. 132, § 2; P.L. 2011, ch. 148, § 2.
Structure Rhode Island General Laws
Title 39 - Public Utilities and Carriers
Chapter 39-3 - Regulatory Powers of Administration
Section 39-3-1. - Services for which certificate of necessity required.
Section 39-3-1.1. - Purchasing cooperatives.
Section 39-3-1.2. - Aggregation of electrical load by municipality or group of municipalities.
Section 39-3-2. - Persons and companies eligible for certificates.
Section 39-3-3. - Certificate requirement for water carriers.
Section 39-3-3.1. - Petition for certificate by water carrier — Notice of pendency.
Section 39-3-4. - Water carriers entitled to certificate as of right.
Section 39-3-5. - Petition for certificate of necessity — Notice of pendency.
Section 39-3-7. - Fixing standards for service.
Section 39-3-7.1. - Prohibited practices.
Section 39-3-8. - Standards for measurement and testing of service.
Section 39-3-9. - Testing of measuring devices.
Section 39-3-10. - Filing and availability of rate schedules.
Section 39-3-11. - Notice of change in rates — Suspension of change — Hearings.
Section 39-3-11.1. - Changes in rates of publicly owned water authorities.
Section 39-3-11.2. - [Repealed.]
Section 39-3-11.3. - Providence Water Supply Board transfer.
Section 39-3-12. - Burden of proof to sustain increased rates — Modification of requirements.
Section 39-3-12.1. - Information required of water utility.
Section 39-3-12.2. - Certain advertising costs prohibited on rate base.
Section 39-3-13. - Emergency suspension of rate schedules.
Section 39-3-13.1. - Power to order refunds.
Section 39-3-14. - Accounting and records of utilities.
Section 39-3-15. - Security issues for which permission required.
Section 39-3-16. - [Repealed.]
Section 39-3-17. - Procedure for obtaining authority for security issues.
Section 39-3-18. - Order of division as to security issue.
Section 39-3-19. - Unauthorized securities.
Section 39-3-20. - Securities of foreign utilities.
Section 39-3-21. - Penalty for false statements.
Section 39-3-22. - Security dividends — Distribution of proceeds of securities.
Section 39-3-23. - Charters amended — Availability of information.
Section 39-3-24. - Transactions between utilities for which approval required.
Section 39-3-25. - Proceedings for approval of transactions between utilities.
Section 39-3-26. - Charters amended to authorize approved transactions.
Section 39-3-27. - Definitions.
Section 39-3-28. - Filing of agreements with affiliates.
Section 39-3-29. - Effect of failure to file agreements.
Section 39-3-30. - Investigation and order as to transaction between affiliates.
Section 39-3-31. - Court order to cease practice impairing service.
Section 39-3-32. - Disallowance of payments to affiliates in rate proceedings.
Section 39-3-33. - Rules of division.
Section 39-3-34. - Utilities to which restrictions apply.
Section 39-3-35. - Municipal rights and franchises subject to regulation.
Section 39-3-36. - Notice of railroad hearing.
Section 39-3-37. - Public utilities — Informational mailings.
Section 39-3-37.1. - Conservation notice on water bills.
Section 39-3-37.2. - Informational notice on electric bills.
Section 39-3-37.3. - Informational notice on electric bills — Electric distribution company.
Section 39-3-38. - Wholesale contracts for the sale of water — Rates or charges.
Section 39-3-39. - Purchase of power from small production facilities by electric utilities.
Section 39-3-40. - Storage, transportation, and distribution of gas — Regulation — Penalties.
Section 39-3-41. - Regulations for pay-per-call services.
Section 39-3-42. - [Repealed.]