reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 159 § 19e (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 19e - Solicitations by Telephone; Required Disclosures; Misrepresentation

Section 19E. No person shall solicit a sale or order for sale of goods or services at the residence of a prospective buyer by means of a telephone without expressly revealing at the time the person initially contacts the prospective buyer, and before making any other statement, except a greeting, or asking the prospective buyer any other questions, that the purpose of the contact is to effect a sale, by doing all of the following:—  (1) stating the identity of the person making the solicitations;  (2) stating the trade name of the person represented by the person making the solicitation; and  (3) stating the kind of goods or services being offered for sale.  No person shall, in soliciting a sale or order for the sale of goods or services at the residence of a prospective buyer by the telephone, use any plan, scheme, or ruse which misrepresents his true status or mission for the purpose of making such sale or order for the sale of goods or services.
MA Gen L ch 159 § 19f (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 19f - Posting Rates, Terms and Conditions of Retail Services on Website; Department Notification of Changes

Section 19F. (a) Notwithstanding section 19, a common carrier furnishing service described in clause (d) of section 12 may post on its website the rates, terms and conditions of any retail service it offers, renders or furnishes within the commonwealth. Section 19 shall not apply to any such retail service so posted and no such common carrier shall be required to file with the department or obtain department approval of any schedule for such service. No such common carrier shall, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, charge, demand, exact, receive or collect a rate in excess of the rate posted to its website under this paragraph. Upon written notice to the department, such common carrier may withdraw any schedule, contract or agreement previously filed with the department under section 19 for any such retail service so posted under this paragraph. This subsection shall not apply to a rural telephone company as defined in 47 U.S.C. § 153 except upon approval of the department. Nothing in this section shall affect the authority of the department (i) to require 30 days' notice to any affected consumer of any increase in rates for retail services so posted; (ii) to require its prior approval of any increase in rates for residential basic exchange service offered by an incumbent local exchange carrier, as defined in 47 U.S.C. § 251(h); (iii) under sections 13, 14 and 20; or (iv) over switched access or wholesale services.  (b) Common carriers shall electronically notify the department on the same business day of posting any change in rates and terms or conditions for a retail service posted under this section and not subject to section 19, unless the department exempts a common carrier from this subsection.
MA Gen L ch 159 § 20 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 20 - Notice and Hearing Upon Proposed Rate Schedule Changes; Order

Section 20. Whenever the department receives notice of any changes proposed to be made in any schedule filed by any common carrier not furnishing the service of transmission of intelligence by electricity under this chapter, it may, either upon complaint or upon its own motion, and after notice, hold a public hearing and make investigation as to the propriety of such proposed changes. Whenever the department receives notice of any changes proposed to be made in any schedule filed under this chapter which represent a general increase in rates by a common carrier furnishing the service of transmission of intelligence by electricity, it shall notify the attorney general of the same forthwith, and shall thereafter hold a public hearing and make an investigation as to the propriety of such proposed changes after first causing notice of the time, place and the subject matter of such hearing to be published at least twenty-one days before such hearing in such local newspapers as the department may select. Pending any such investigation and the decision thereon, the department may, by order served upon the common carrier affected, suspend, from time to time, the taking effect of such changes, but not for a longer period than ten months in the aggregate beyond the time when the same would otherwise take effect. After such hearing and investigation, the department may make, in reference to any new rate, joint rate, fare, telephone rental, toll, classification, charge, rule, regulation or form of contract or agreement proposed, such order as would be proper in a proceeding under section fourteen. At any such hearing involving any proposed increase in any rate, joint rate, fare, telephone rental, toll or charge, the burden of proof to show that such increase is necessary to obtain a reasonable compensation for the service rendered shall be upon the common carrier. If, at a hearing involving any proposed decrease in any rate, joint rate, fare, telephone rental, toll or charge demanded by any common carrier, it shall appear to the department that the said rate, joint rate, fare, telephone rental, toll or charge is insufficient to yield reasonable compensation for the service rendered, the department may determine what will be a just and reasonable minimum to be charged, and make an order that the common carrier shall not thereafter demand or collect less than the minimum so prescribed without first obtaining the consent of the department, after a public hearing.
MA Gen L ch 159 § 22 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 22 - Railway Signals Required by Department

Section 22. The department may from time to time require railroad and railway corporations to install and maintain at such places upon the railroad or railway premises as it shall designate such block or other signals or devices as it shall approve for the purpose of safeguarding public travel.
MA Gen L ch 159 § 23 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 23 - Notice to Railway of Recommended Improvements and Changes

Section 23. If the department is of opinion that repairs are necessary upon any railroad or railway, or that an addition to its rolling stock, or an addition to or change or relocation of its stations or station houses or waiting rooms, or a change in its rates of fares for transporting freight or passengers, or in the mode of operating the railroad or railway and conducting its business, is reasonable and expedient to promote the security, convenience and accommodation of the public, it shall in writing inform the corporation or company of the improvement and changes which it recommends.
MA Gen L ch 159 § 24 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 24 - Hearing Upon Complaint Concerning Service or Rates of Carrier Transmitting Intelligence by Electricity

Section 24. Upon written complaint, relative to the service or charges for service in, to or from any city or town as rendered or made by any company engaged therein in the transmission of intelligence by electricity, by the mayor or selectmen, or by twenty customers of the company, the department shall grant a public hearing, first giving to the complainants and the company reasonable written notice of the time and place thereof. Upon written complaint of the mayor, selectmen or twenty legal voters of a city or town within which any railroad, railway or other carrier of passengers under the jurisdiction of the department is located or renders service, alleging grounds of complaint, the department shall examine the condition and operation of such carrier, first giving to the complainants and such carrier reasonable written notice of the time and place thereof.
MA Gen L ch 159 § 25 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 25 - Hearings; Notice to Interested Members of General Court

Section 25. The department shall give seasonable notice by mail to any member of the general court of any hearing before the department concerning common carriers upon a matter affecting the interests of the district represented by him.
MA Gen L ch 159 § 26 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 26 - Valuation and Revaluation of Carrier's Property

Section 26. The department may investigate and determine the fair value for any purpose of all the property of any common carrier rendering a public service subject to the supervision of the department, actually used or useful for the convenience of the public, whenever it deems the ascertainment of such value necessary to carry into effect any provision of this chapter, and may at any time make a revaluation of such property. In making any valuation under this section, the department shall have access to and may use any books, documents or records in the possession of any department or board of the commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof.
MA Gen L ch 159 § 27 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 27 - Inspections

Section 27. The department may, either through its members or responsible agents, engineers, inspectors or examiners duly authorized by it, enter upon any premises occupied by any carrier subject to its jurisdiction for any purpose consistent with this chapter. It may inspect the property, equipment, buildings, plants, factories, power houses, ducts, conduits and offices of any such carrier. It may, in connection with such inspection, have performed for it such service of the kind rendered by the carrier as it may reasonably require, including passage upon any locomotive, car, vessel or vehicle while in service, and, upon reasonable notice, the use of an inspection locomotive, car, vessel or vehicle whenever that is necessary, in the opinion of the department, for a physical inspection of all or any of the lines and stations of any such carrier.
MA Gen L ch 159 § 28 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 28 - Notice of Accidents

Section 28. Every railroad corporation, railway company and carrier of passengers for hire by motor vehicle under the jurisdiction of the department shall give immediate notice of an accident on its railroad or railway or on or connected with a motor vehicle belonging to it, resulting in a loss of life, to the medical examiner of the county who resides nearest to the place of accident, and shall also, within twenty-four hours, give notice to the department of any such accident or of any accident of the description of accidents of which it may require notice to be given. For each omission to give such notice, the corporation, company or other carrier shall forfeit not more than one hundred dollars.
MA Gen L ch 159 § 29 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 29 - Investigation of Accidents

Section 29. An inspector shall, under the direction of the department, investigate as promptly as may be any accident upon a railroad, railway or motor vehicle of a carrier of passengers under the jurisdiction of the department, or in which such railroad, railway or motor vehicle is concerned, which causes the death or imperils the life of any person, and shall report thereon to the department, which shall investigate the cause of any such accident resulting in loss of life, and may investigate any other accident. The inspector shall attend the inquest held in case of any such death by accident and may cause any person who has knowledge of the facts or circumstances connected with such death to be summoned as a witness to testify at the inquest.
MA Gen L ch 159 § 30 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 30 - Defects; Information by Employee; Protection of Source

Section 30. An employee may make written complaint to the department of a defect in the ways, works, machinery or appliances, or any car or vehicle, of a railroad, railway or other carrier of passengers under its jurisdiction, and the name of the complainant shall not be divulged.
MA Gen L ch 159 § 31 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 31 - Forms of Accounts, Records and Memoranda

Section 31. The department may, from time to time, prescribe forms of accounts, records and memoranda for the common carriers under its supervision, or for such classes of common carriers as it shall establish. The forms shall conform as nearly as may be to those established by the interstate commerce commission. The accounts of such common carriers shall be kept in accordance with the forms prescribed. It shall have access to the list of stockholders of any railroad corporation or railway company and may cause the said list or any part thereof to be copied for its information or for the information of said stockholders. Any railroad corporation or railway company which refuses to submit its books to the examination of the department or unreasonably neglects to keep its accounts in the method prescribed by the department shall forfeit not more than five thousand dollars.
MA Gen L ch 159 § 32 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 32 - Annual Return; Form; Time of Filing; Amendment

Section 32. The department shall prescribe the forms for the annual returns to be made to it by the several kinds of common carriers and may from time to time make changes and additions in any such form; provided, that changes therein or additions thereto requiring any alteration in the method or form of keeping the accounts of such common carriers shall not be effective until after notice thereof shall have been given, at least six months before the beginning of the year or other period for which such changes or additions are prescribed, by the department to the common carriers affected thereby. The annual returns required by law to be made to the department shall be returns for the year ending on December thirty-first, and shall be transmitted thereto, upon blank forms to be furnished by the department, on or before March thirty-first following, or such subsequent date as in any case, for good cause shown, the department may fix. If a return is defective or appears erroneous, the department shall forthwith order the common carrier to amend it within fifteen days. The original of each return or amended return, subscribed and sworn to as required by law, shall be preserved in the office of the department.
MA Gen L ch 159 § 33 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 33 - Express Business; Annual Return

Section 33. Every person doing an express business upon either a railroad or railway in the commonwealth shall annually transmit to the department a return on oath of his doings setting forth copies of all contracts made during the year with other persons doing a transportation or express business upon any railroad or railway in the commonwealth, and shall give complete information in reply to the questions presented in the form for such return which shall be prescribed by the department. A person neglecting to make such return or, if defective or erroneous, to amend it within fifteen days after a request so to do shall forfeit twenty-five dollars for each day during which such neglect continues.
MA Gen L ch 159 § 34 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 34 - Examination of Books, etc.; Subpoena Duces Tecum

Section 34. The department, through its commissioners or by employees duly authorized, may examine all books, contracts, records, documents, papers and memoranda of any common carrier, and by subpoena duces tecum compel the production thereof, or of duly verified copies of the same or any of them, and compel the attendance of such witnesses as the department may require to give evidence at any such examination.
MA Gen L ch 159 § 35 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 35 - Examination of Condition of Company on Request of Interested Party

Section 35. Upon the written application of a director, or of any person owning one fiftieth part of the paid-in capital stock of a corporation or company operating a railroad or railway, or who owns the bonds or other evidences of indebtedness of such corporation or company equal in amount to one fiftieth part of its paid-in capital stock, the department shall examine the books and the financial condition of said corporation or company, and shall cause the result of such examination to be published in one or more daily newspapers in Boston, and in some newspaper published in the county where such applicant resides.
MA Gen L ch 159 § 36 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 36 - Annual Audit

Section 36. The department may provide for an annual audit by employees duly authorized by it of all accounts of any common carrier or class of common carriers.
MA Gen L ch 159 § 37 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 37 - Service of Orders of Department; Notification of Receipt and Acceptance

Section 37. Every order of the department shall be served upon every person or corporation to be affected thereby, either by personal delivery of a certified copy thereof, or by mailing a certified copy thereof, in a sealed package, postage prepaid, to the person to be affected thereby or, in the case of a corporation, to any officer or agent thereof upon whom a summons may be served under the laws of the commonwealth. Every person and corporation shall notify the department forthwith, in writing, of the receipt of the certified copy of every order so served, and in the case of a corporation such notification shall be signed and acknowledged by a person or officer duly authorized by the corporation to admit such service. Within a time specified in the order, every person and corporation upon whom it is served shall, if so required in the order, notify the department in like manner whether the terms of the order are accepted and will be obeyed. Every such order shall take effect at a time therein specified and shall continue in force either for a period designated therein or until changed or abrogated by the department.
MA Gen L ch 159 § 38 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 38 - Effect of Request or Advice of Department

Section 38. No request or advice of the department shall in any manner impair the legal duties and obligations of a railroad corporation or railway company or its legal liability for the consequences of its acts or of the neglect or mismanagement of any of its agents or servants.
MA Gen L ch 159 § 39 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 39 - Violations; Action by Attorney General

Section 39. If in the judgment of the department any common carrier violates or neglects in any respect to comply with the provisions of any law, and after written notice by the department continues such violation or neglect, or neglects to make returns as required by law, or to amend the same when lawfully required so to do, the department shall forthwith present the facts to the attorney general for action.
MA Gen L ch 159 § 40 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 40 - Violations or Threatened Violations; Mandamus or Injunction

Section 40. Whenever the department is of opinion that a common carrier subject to its supervision is failing or omitting or about to fail or omit to do anything required of it by law or by order of the department, or is doing anything or about to do anything or permitting anything or about to permit anything to be done, contrary to or in violation of the law or of any order of the department, it shall direct its counsel to begin, subject to the supervision of the attorney general, an action or proceeding in the supreme judicial court in the name of the department for the purpose of having such violations or threatened violations stopped and prevented either by mandamus or injunction.
MA Gen L ch 159 § 41 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 41 - Representation at Hearings Concerning Proposed Legislation Affecting Department

Section 41. The department may be represented at any public hearing before any legislative committee or public board in the commonwealth, or of any other state or of the United States, with respect to any proposed legislation or action by public authorities within or without the commonwealth affecting any public service within the commonwealth subject to its supervision, whenever it deems such representation desirable in the interests of the commonwealth. It may apply by petition to the interstate commerce commission for relief, and may present evidence and arguments to the said commission, in any case in which it is of opinion that a common carrier subject to its supervision is violating any provision of the interstate commerce law or any valid order or regulation made under authority thereof. The department may also confer with or appear before boards of other states having powers over any common carrier when in its judgment the interests of the commonwealth will be promoted thereby.
MA Gen L ch 159 § 43 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 159 - Common Carriers|Section 43 - Annual Report of Department

Section 43. The department shall make an annual report including such statements, facts and explanations as will describe the actual working of the system of carriers under its supervision in its bearing upon the business and prosperity of the commonwealth, with such tables and abstracts of all the returns required and such suggestions as to its general policy or any part thereof, or the condition, affairs or conduct of the activities under its supervision as may seem appropriate, together with a report of any proceeding had under authority of section twenty-three and the result thereof.