reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
SC Code § 58-3-550 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 58 - Public Utilities, Services and Carriers|Chapter 3 - Public Service Commission|Section 58-3-550. Staffing; identification of Executive Director candidates.

 (A) The review committee must use clerical and professional employees of the General Assembly for its staff, who must be made available to the review committee.  (B) The review committee may employ or retain other professional staff, upon the determination of the necessity for other staff by the review committee.  (C) The review committee may employ consultants to assist in identifying candidates for the Executive Director of the Office of Regulatory Staff.  (D) Except as provided in Section 58-3-540(B), the costs and expenses of the review committee must be funded in the annual state General Appropriations Act.  HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 175, Section 5, eff March 4, 2004.
SC Code § 58-3-560 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 58 - Public Utilities, Services and Carriers|Chapter 3 - Public Service Commission|Section 58-3-560. Election of commission members; screening and qualification of candidates.

 (A) Whenever an election is to be held by the General Assembly in joint session to elect a person to serve on the commission, the review committee must conduct its screening pursuant to the provisions of Section 2-20-10, et seq.; however, Section 2-20-40 is not applicable to a screening by the review committee.  (B) In order to be nominated for a seat on the commission, candidates must meet the requirements of Section 58-3-20 and this section. In screening candidates for the commission and making its findings, the review committee must seek to find the best qualified people by giving due consideration to:  (1) ability, dedication, compassion, common sense, and integrity of the candidates; and  (2) the race and gender of the candidates and other demographic factors to assure nondiscrimination to the greatest extent possible of all segments of the population of the State.  HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 175, Section 5, eff March 4, 2004.
SC Code § 58-3-570 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 58 - Public Utilities, Services and Carriers|Chapter 3 - Public Service Commission|Section 58-3-570. Study of other state commission structures, responsibilities; report and recommendations.

 The review committee may conduct a comprehensive study of other states' commissions' structures, responsibilities, qualifications, and compensation. The review committee may prepare and deliver this report along with its recommendations to the General Assembly on or before January 15, 2006.  HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 175, Section 5, eff March 4, 2004.
SC Code § 58-3-580 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 58 - Public Utilities, Services and Carriers|Chapter 3 - Public Service Commission|Section 58-3-580. Organization of and allocation of staff to commission or Office of Regulatory Staff.

 The review committee must allocate personal service positions and other appropriations within the commission to either the commission or the Office of Regulatory Staff. The review committee must organize appropriate divisions within the commission and, as submitted by the executive director, within the Office of Regulatory Staff. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the review committee is authorized to approve position descriptions and compensation schedules for each position within the Office of Regulatory Staff. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the salary of the Executive Director of the Office of Regulatory Staff shall not be construed as limiting the maximum salary that may be paid to other employees of the Office of Regulatory Staff. The review committee's authority to reorganize the agencies and assign personal service positions and other appropriations supersedes any provision of law to the contrary. In effectuating the review committee's assignment of positions between agencies, the Budget and Control Board is directed to assign through transfer both the position and the appropriation for the position. Notwithstanding this section or any other provision of law, the Executive Director of the Office of Regulatory Staff has sole authority to select and employ personnel of the Office of Regulatory Staff. On and after June 30, 2004, a commission employee whose position is transferred to the Office of Regulatory Staff is, upon application to the executive director, entitled only to due consideration for the position.  HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 175, Section 5, eff March 4, 2004; 2005 Act No. 5, Section 5, eff December 3, 2004.
SC Code § 58-4-5 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 58 - Public Utilities, Services and Carriers|Chapter 4 - Office Of Regulatory Staff|Section 58-4-5. Definitions.

 As used in this chapter:  (1) "Business with which he is associated" means a business of which the person or a member of his immediate family is a director, an officer, owner, employee, a compensated agent, or holder of stock.  (2) "Immediate family" means an individual who is:  (a) a child residing in the person's household;  (b) a spouse of the person; or  (c) an individual claimed by the person or the person's spouse as a dependent for income tax purposes.  (3) "Commission" means the Public Service Commission.  (4) "Hearing officer" means a person employed by the commission to serve as a presiding officer in an adjudicative proceeding before the commission.  (5) "Regulatory staff" means the executive director or the executive director and employees of the Office of Regulatory Staff.  (6) "Public utility" means public utility as defined in Section 58-5-10, telephone utility as defined in Section 58-9-10, government-owned telecommunications service provider as defined in Section 58-9-2610, radio common carrier as defined in Section 58-11-10, carriers governed in Chapter 13 of Title 58, railroads and railways as defined in Section 58-17-10, motor vehicle carrier as defined in Section 58-23-10, or electrical utility as defined in Section 58-27-10.  (7) "Review committee" means the State Regulation of Public Utilities Review Committee.  HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 175, Section 6, eff July 1, 2004.
SC Code § 58-4-10 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 58 - Public Utilities, Services and Carriers|Chapter 4 - Office Of Regulatory Staff|Section 58-4-10. Office of Regulatory Staff created; representation of "public interest" in actions before commission; restrictions of communications.

 (A) There is hereby created the Office of Regulatory Staff as a separate agency of the State with the duties and organizations as hereinafter provided.  (B) Unless and until it chooses not to participate, the Office of Regulatory Staff must be considered a party of record in all filings, applications, or proceedings before the commission. The regulatory staff must represent the public interest of South Carolina before the commission. For purposes of this chapter only, "public interest" means the concerns of the using and consuming public with respect to public utility services, regardless of the class of customer, and preservation of continued investment in and maintenance of utility facilities so as to provide reliable and high quality utility services.  (C) The Office of Regulatory Staff is subject to the provision of Section 58-3-260 prohibiting ex parte communications with the commission, and any advice given to the commission by the regulatory staff must be given in a form, forum, and manner as may lawfully be given by any other party or person.  HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 175, Section 6; eff July 1, 2004, as to subjections (A) and (C); eff January 1, 2005, as to subsection (B); 2018 Act No. 258 (H.4375), Section 8, eff June 28, 2018; 2019 Act No. 62 (H.3659), Section 12, eff May 16, 2019.  Editor's Note  2018 Act No. 258, Section 12, provides as follows:  "SECTION 12. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor and applies to all cases, proceedings, petitions, or matters pending before the Public Service Commission or in any other court or venue on or after the effective date of this act."  Effect of Amendment  2018 Act No. 258, Section 8, rewrote (B).  2019 Act No. 62, Section 12, in (B), in the third sentence, inserted "only" following "For purposes of this chapter", and made a nonsubstantive change.
SC Code § 58-4-20 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 58 - Public Utilities, Services and Carriers|Chapter 4 - Office Of Regulatory Staff|Section 58-4-20. Staff makeup, supervision and location.

 (A) The Office of Regulatory Staff shall consist of the executive director, transportation inspectors, pipeline safety inspectors, railway safety inspectors, and other professional, administrative, technical, and clerical personnel as may be necessary in order for the regulatory staff to represent the public interest, as hereinafter provided. All such personnel must be appointed, supervised, and directed by the executive director.  (B) The regulatory staff is not subject to the supervision, direction, or control of the commission, the chairman, or members of the commission.  (C) The Office of Regulatory Staff must not be physically housed in the same location as the Public Service Commission. The review committee must approve the location of the Office of Regulatory Staff.  HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 175, Section 6, eff July 1, 2004.
SC Code § 58-4-30 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 58 - Public Utilities, Services and Carriers|Chapter 4 - Office Of Regulatory Staff|Section 58-4-30. Appointment of executive director; qualifications; term of office; removal; vacancies; oath of office.

 (A) The Executive Director of the Office of Regulatory Staff must be an attorney qualified to practice in all courts of this State with a minimum of eight years' practice experience and must be appointed pursuant to the procedure set forth in Section 58-3-530(1)(b).  (B) The review committee must nominate one candidate as qualified to serve as executive director for the Governor's consideration.  (1) A person must not be appointed to serve as Executive Director of the Office of Regulatory Staff unless the review committee nominates the person.  (2) If the Governor rejects a person nominated by the review committee for executive director, the review committee must nominate another candidate for the Governor to consider, until the Governor makes an appointment.  (C) The executive director must be appointed by the Governor for a term of six years and until his successor is appointed.  (D) The executive director must be initially appointed by the Governor on or before May 1, 2004. Thereafter, the executive director must be appointed by the Governor on or before April first of the year in which the term of the executive director begins.  (E) The initial term of office for the executive director begins July 1, 2004.  (F) The executive director may be removed from office by the Governor in the event of his incapacity to serve. In addition, the executive director may be removed for cause from office by the Governor pursuant to Section 1-3-240(C).  (G) In case of a vacancy in the office of executive director for any reason prior to the expiration of his term of office, the name of a nominee for the executive director's successor must be submitted by the review committee to the Governor.  (H) The executive director must take the oath of office provided by the Constitution and the oaths prescribed by law for state officers.  (I) The Office of Regulatory Staff shall be subject to annual review by the review committee; however, decisions of the Office of Regulatory Staff with respect to duties and responsibilities contained in Section 58-4-50 are in the sole discretion of the executive director, except as modified by order of a court of competent jurisdiction.  (J) The salary of the executive director must be set by the review committee.  HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 175, Section 6, eff March 4, 2004.
SC Code § 58-4-40 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 58 - Public Utilities, Services and Carriers|Chapter 4 - Office Of Regulatory Staff|Section 58-4-40. Conflict of interest.

 (A) Unless otherwise provided by law, no person may serve as the Executive Director of the Office of Regulatory Staff if the commission regulates any business with which that person is associated.  (B) If the commission regulates a business with which an employee of the Office of Regulatory Staff is associated, the employee must annually file a statement of economic interests notwithstanding the provisions of Section 8-13-1110.  (C) No person may be an employee of the Office of Regulatory Staff if the Public Service Commission regulates a business with which he is associated and this relationship creates a continuing or frequent conflict with the performance of his official responsibilities.  HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 175, Section 6, eff March 4, 2004.
SC Code § 58-4-51 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 58 - Public Utilities, Services and Carriers|Chapter 4 - Office Of Regulatory Staff|Section 58-4-51. Office of Regulatory Staff; duties and responsibilities.

 Section effective January 1, 2022.  (A) Regulatory staff shall have the following duties and responsibilities concerning the Public Service Authority to:  (1) when considered necessary by the Executive Director of the Office of Regulatory Staff, review, investigate, and make appropriate recommendations to the appropriate entity with respect to the rates charged or proposed to be charged for electric service provided by the Public Service Authority;  (2) when considered necessary by the Executive Director of the Office of Regulatory Staff, make inspections, audits, and examinations of, and to make recommendations to, the appropriate entity, regarding electric service provided by the Public Service Authority;  (3) upon request by the commission, make studies and recommendations to the commission with respect to standards, regulations, practices, or electric service provided by the Public Service Authority for matters within the commission's jurisdiction; and  (4) when considered necessary by the Executive Director of the Office of Regulatory Staff, investigate and examine the condition of generation, transmission, or distribution electric facilities owned or operated by the Public Service Authority.  (B) Regulatory staff may participate as a party of interest, as deemed necessary by the Executive Director of the Office of Regulatory Staff, before regulatory agencies, state courts and federal courts, in matters that could affect the Public Service Authority's rates or charges for the Authority's electric service.  (C) The regulatory staff may have additional duties and responsibilities related to the Public Service Authority as otherwise provided by law.  HISTORY: 2021 Act No. 90 (H.3194), Section 13, eff January 1, 2022.
SC Code § 58-4-80 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 58 - Public Utilities, Services and Carriers|Chapter 4 - Office Of Regulatory Staff|Section 58-4-80. Actions for judicial review of commission orders; intervention.

 The executive director representing the regulatory staff is considered to have an interest sufficient to maintain actions for judicial review from commission orders or decisions and may, as of right and in a manner prescribed by law, intervene or otherwise participate in any civil proceeding which involves the review or enforcement of commission action that the executive director determines may substantially affect the public interest. This right includes intervention in any action for judicial review from commission orders or decisions that are pending at any stage of the action. The executive director representing the regulatory staff has the same rights of appeal from commission orders or decisions as other parties to commission proceedings. On appeal, the Office of Regulatory Staff does not represent the commission.  HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 175, Section 6, eff January 1, 2005; 2018 Act No. 258 (H.4375), Section 9, eff June 28, 2018.  Editor's Note  2018 Act No. 258, Section 12, provides as follows:  "SECTION 12. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor and applies to all cases, proceedings, petitions, or matters pending before the Public Service Commission or in any other court or venue on or after the effective date of this act."  Effect of Amendment  2018 Act No. 258, Section 9, added the fourth sentence, providing the Office of Regulatory Staff does not represent the commission on appeal.
SC Code § 58-4-90 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 58 - Public Utilities, Services and Carriers|Chapter 4 - Office Of Regulatory Staff|Section 58-4-90. Discretion of executive director as to initiation of actions.

 Except as required by Section 58-4-50, decisions relating to whether, when, or how to initiate, continue, participate, or intervene in proceedings pursuant to Section 58-4-50 are in the sole discretion of the executive director, except as modified by order of a court of competent jurisdiction.  HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 175, Section 6, eff July 1, 2004.
SC Code § 58-4-100 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 58 - Public Utilities, Services and Carriers|Chapter 4 - Office Of Regulatory Staff|Section 58-4-100. Employment of certain expert witnesses and third-party consultants exempted State Procurement Code.

 (A) To the extent necessary to carry out regulatory staff responsibilities, the executive director is authorized to employ expert witnesses and other professional expertise as the executive director may consider necessary to assist the regulatory staff in its participation in commission proceedings. The compensation paid to these persons may not exceed compensation generally paid by the regulated industry for such specialists. The compensation and expenses therefor must be paid by the public utility or utilities participating in the proceedings upon agreement between the public utility or utilities participating in the proceedings and the Office of Regulatory Staff or upon approval by the Review Committee or from the regulatory staff's budget. If paid by the public utility or utilities, the compensation and expenses must be treated by the commission, for ratemaking purposes, in a manner generally consistent with its treatment of similar expenditures incurred by utilities in the presentation of their cases before the commission. An accounting of compensation and expenses must be reported annually to the review committee, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.  (B) The Office of Regulatory Staff is exempt from the State Procurement Code in the selection and hiring of an expert or third-party consultant to conduct an independent study described in Section 58-37-60 and Section 58-41-20(H). However, the Office of Regulatory Staff and the commission may not hire the same expert or third-party consultant in the same proceeding or to address the same or similar issues in different proceedings.  HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 175, Section 6, eff July 1, 2004; 2005 Act No. 5, Section 7, eff December 3, 2004; 2019 Act No. 62 (H.3659), Section 13, eff May 16, 2019.  Effect of Amendment  2019 Act No. 62, Section 13, inserted the (A) identifier, and added (B).
SC Code § 58-4-110 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 58 - Public Utilities, Services and Carriers|Chapter 4 - Office Of Regulatory Staff|Section 58-4-110. Annual reports.

 The regulatory staff must make and publish annual reports to the General Assembly on its activities in the interest of the using and consuming public.  HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 175, Section 6, eff July 1, 2004.
SC Code § 58-4-120 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 58 - Public Utilities, Services and Carriers|Chapter 4 - Office Of Regulatory Staff|Section 58-4-120. Promulgation of rules governing internal administration and operations.

 Rules governing the internal administration and operations of the Office of the Regulatory Staff must be promulgated by the office and subject to review by the General Assembly as are rules of procedure promulgated by the Supreme Court under Article V of the Constitution. After submission to the House of Representatives, the Speaker shall refer the rules to the Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee. After submission to the Senate, the President shall refer the rules to the Judiciary Committee.  HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 175, Section 6, eff July 1, 2004.
SC Code § 58-4-130 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 58 - Public Utilities, Services and Carriers|Chapter 4 - Office Of Regulatory Staff|Section 58-4-130. Restriction on outside employment of executive director.

 The executive director must not interview or seek employment with a public utility while serving as executive director. The executive director may not represent or appear on behalf of a public utility in any proceeding before the commission in any matter within the commission's jurisdiction for one year after serving as executive director. A person who violates this provision is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five thousand dollars or be imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.  HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 175, Section 6, eff July 1, 2004.
SC Code § 58-5-10 (2021)
2021 South Carolina Code of Laws|Title 58 - Public Utilities, Services and Carriers|Chapter 5 - Gas, Heat, Water, Sewerage Collection And Disposal, And Street Railway Companies|Section 58-5-10. Definitions.

 When used in Articles 1, 3, and 5 of this chapter:  (1) The term "commission" means the Public Service Commission.  (2) The term "corporation" includes joint stock companies, corporations, associations and commissions and boards, whether public or private, having any powers or privileges not possessed by individuals or partnerships.  (3) The term "person" includes an individual, a firm, and a copartnership.  (4) The term "public utility" includes every corporation and person delivering natural gas distributed or transported by pipe, and every corporation and person furnishing or supplying in any manner heat (other than by means of electricity), water, sewerage collection, sewerage disposal, and street railway service, or any of them, to the public, or any portion thereof, for compensation; provided, however, that a corporation or person furnishing, supplying, marketing, and/or selling natural gas at the retail level for use as a fuel in self-propelled vehicles is not a public utility by virtue of the furnishing, supplying, marketing, and/or selling of natural gas and a corporation or person whose only purpose is the furnishing, supplying, marketing, and/or selling of treated effluent for irrigation purposes is not a public utility by virtue of the furnishing, supplying, marketing, and/or selling of treated effluent if the effluent is not permitted for consumption by a regulatory agency.  (5) The term "public or any portion thereof" means the public generally, or any limited portion of the public, including a person, private corporation, municipality, or any political subdivision of the State for which the service is performed or to which the commodity is delivered and whenever such corporation or person performs a service or delivers a commodity to the public, or any portion thereof, for which compensation is required such corporation or person is hereby declared to be a public utility subject to the jurisdiction and regulation of the Public Service Commission, the Office of Regulatory Staff, and Articles 1, 3, and 5 of this chapter to the extent of its activities within the State.  (6) The term "regulatory staff" means the executive director or the executive director and employees of the Office of Regulatory Staff.  HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 58-101; 1952 Code Section 58-101; 1942 Code Section 8209; 1932 Code Section 8252; Civ. C. '22 Section 1045; Civ. C. '12 Section 922; 1910 (16) 564; 1922 (32) 938; 1935 (39) 25; 1959 (51) 375; 1994 Act No. 389, Section 1, eff May 10, 1994; 2006 Act No. 318, Section 5, eff May 24, 2006; 2007 Act No. 83, Section 9, eff June 19, 2007.