reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
AR Code § 23-4-205 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 2 - Utilities Generally|§ 23-4-205. Refunds

 (a) The Arkansas Public Service Commission is hereby empowered, following notice and hearing, to order any public utility subject to its jurisdiction to make refunds. The refunds shall be made in the manner and to the extent determined just and reasonable by the commission.  (b) The authority of the commission to make refunds shall include, but is not limited to, the following circumstances:  (1) When a utility implements rates under bond, and the rates approved in the final order of the commission are less than the bonded rates;  (2) When a utility has charged its ratepayers an amount in excess of the utility's approved tariffs;  (3) When a utility imposes on ratepayers any charge prohibited by, or in excess of, any Arkansas statute;  (4) When a utility charges more than the lawful rate of interest; and  (5) When a utility has collected revenues exceeding those amounts authorized by any contract approved by the commission pursuant to § 23-3-117.    (c) When the commission determines that refunds are due under this section, the commission may authorize the utility to make a refund in one (1) lump sum, or may authorize the utility to prorate the refunds over the period of time over which the amount to be refunded had accrued, or some intermediate period of time as the commission deems appropriate. The commission may require that the refund be made by cash or check, or through customers' account credits. However, any refund of ten dollars ($10.00) or less shall be by billing credit only. All refunds, of whatever amount, to customers who cannot be located shall be made pursuant to subsection (e) of this section. Former customers who can be located shall be paid by cash or check.  (d) The commission may order that refunds due under this section be made with interest computed at a rate not to exceed the maximum allowed by Arkansas law.  (e) When a refund is due a customer and the utility cannot, after diligent effort, locate the customer, the utility shall:  (1) Make the refunds available to the customer for a period of three (3) years from the date the refund was ordered; and  (2) Apply those funds which are not claimed after three (3) years as a credit against bad-debt expense of the utility.    (f) Nothing in this section shall be construed as allowing retroactive ratemaking or otherwise providing for refunds of rates collected pursuant to previous orders of the commission, except when rates have been placed in effect under bond, subject to refund.
AR Code § 23-4-206 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 2 - Utilities Generally|§ 23-4-206. Interest on deposits

 (a) Whenever any person, company, or corporation furnishing patrons or consumers with power, gas, water, electricity, or telephone service shall require a deposit from the consumer before the utility will be supplied to him or her or before a meter will be installed by the person, company, or corporation, then, in every case, the person putting up the deposit, when the deposit is taken down or meter removed, shall receive interest on the deposit until it is returned to the patron or consumer, provided all bills due for service furnished have been paid by the patron or consumer.  (b)  (1) The interest paid on any deposit shall be computed using simple interest, applying such annual rates as the commission shall determine from year to year.  (2) The annual interest rate applicable to deposits shall be determined annually by the Arkansas Public Service Commission following notice and hearing. Each year, the commission shall enter its order setting the annual rate of interest no later than December 31 for the following year. The new annual rate shall become effective January 1 of the following year and shall remain in effect for the remainder of the calendar year, or until such later time as the commission shall enter its order establishing a new rate.  (3) The annual rate of interest set by the commission for any year shall not be more than ten percent (10%).    (c) This section shall not apply to cities or towns of a population of less than three thousand (3,000) persons that have granted franchises for electric current for lighting and other purposes furnished by manufacturing establishments not solely engaged in the manufacture of electric current for lighting and other purposes.
AR Code § 23-4-208 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 2 - Utilities Generally|§ 23-4-208. Water and sewer services for military installations

 The Arkansas Public Service Commission shall have jurisdiction to set rates to be paid by military installations for water and sewer services provided by a municipality located in a county having a population in excess of two hundred thousand (200,000) persons if the governing body of the municipality petitions the commission to exercise this jurisdiction.
AR Code § 23-4-209 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 2 - Utilities Generally|§ 23-4-209. Transition costs — Definition

 (a)  (1) As used in this section, “transition costs” means those costs, investments, or unfunded mandates, either recurring or nonrecurring, incurred by an electric utility after July 30, 1999, that are found to have been necessary to carry out the electric utility's responsibilities associated with efforts to implement retail open access or were mandated by statute or rule and are not otherwise recoverable.  (2) In no event shall transition costs include retirement or severance programs, marketing or promotional activities, professional or advisory services, or legal costs associated with any competitive strategy.  (3) In no event shall costs that are allowable in the utility's regulated cost of service and rates be included as transition costs, and the electric utility shall be required to demonstrate that its requested transition cost recovery does not contain amounts that are otherwise reflected in current rate levels.  (4) Additionally, no electric utility shall recover transition costs unless approved by the Arkansas Public Service Commission pursuant to this chapter.    (b)  (1) An electric utility shall be allowed to recover transition costs incurred no later than January 1, 2002, as may be determined by the commission after notice and hearing.  (2) The recovery shall be by a customer transition charge during a period of time ending thirty-six (36) months after February 21, 2003.  (3) The customer transition charges shall be subject to annual review by the commission. Costs included in the charges shall be prudent, reasonable, and directly caused by Acts 1999, No. 1556, and rules and orders adopted by the commission to implement that act.    (c) An electric utility shall have a right to recover from its customers any nuclear decommissioning costs, as determined by the commission, associated with the utility's generating assets. The commission shall retain jurisdiction sufficient to authorize the recovery of those costs.
AR Code § 23-4-301 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 3 - Consumer Utilities Rate Advocacy Division|§ 23-4-301. Title

 This subchapter shall be referred to and may be cited as the “Consumer Utilities Rate Advocacy Division Act”.
AR Code § 23-4-302 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 3 - Consumer Utilities Rate Advocacy Division|§ 23-4-302. Legislative findings and purpose

 (a) The General Assembly finds that:  (1) The people of the State of Arkansas are faced with rapidly rising utility costs;  (2) Residents of the state are finding it increasingly difficult to afford basic utility usage;  (3) The people of Arkansas need aggressive and effective representation in utility rate hearings and other utility-related proceedings; and  (4) In order to make informed decisions about their energy consumption, the people of this state need to be informed about the rate-making process and the opportunity to reduce utility bills through conservation measures and the use of alternative energy sources.    (b) The General Assembly finds that the public policy and responsibility of the state as set forth in this section can best be attained with the establishment of the Consumer Utilities Rate Advocacy Division within the Office of the Attorney General, and it is the purpose of this subchapter to create this division.
AR Code § 23-4-303 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 3 - Consumer Utilities Rate Advocacy Division|§ 23-4-303. Creation

 There is created within the Office of the Attorney General a Consumer Utilities Rate Advocacy Division.
AR Code § 23-4-304 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 3 - Consumer Utilities Rate Advocacy Division|§ 23-4-304. Director and staff

 The Director of the Consumer Utilities Rate Advocacy Division shall hold the title of Deputy Attorney General and shall be appointed to the position by the Attorney General who may also appoint such assistants, professionals, and clerical staff as authorized by appropriation acts for the effective operation of the division.
AR Code § 23-4-305 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 3 - Consumer Utilities Rate Advocacy Division|§ 23-4-305. Powers and duties

 The Consumer Utilities Rate Advocacy Division shall represent the state, its subdivisions, and all classes of Arkansas utility rate payers and shall have the following functions, powers, and duties:   (1) To provide effective and aggressive representation for the people of Arkansas in hearings before the Arkansas Public Service Commission and other state and federal courts or agencies concerning utility-related matters;  (2) To disseminate information to all classes of rate payers concerning pertinent energy-related concepts; and  (3) To advocate the holding of utility rates to the lowest reasonable level.
AR Code § 23-4-306 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 3 - Consumer Utilities Rate Advocacy Division|§ 23-4-306. Intervention by others not precluded

 The right of any party to intervene on any matter before the Arkansas Public Service Commission is by no means precluded by this subchapter.
AR Code § 23-4-307 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 3 - Consumer Utilities Rate Advocacy Division|§ 23-4-307. Records

 The Attorney General shall designate an employee who is familiar with cost accounting methods to keep an accurate record of the costs of operation and maintenance of the Consumer Utilities Rate Advocacy Division within the Office of the Attorney General.
AR Code § 23-4-401 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 4 - Utilities — Rate Changes and Surcharges Generally|§ 23-4-401. Notice of intention to file application

 (a) Every public utility shall notify the secretary of the Arkansas Public Service Commission in writing of its intention to file an application for a general change or modification in its rates and charges at least sixty (60) days but no earlier than ninety (90) days before the application is filed.  (b) Failure to provide such notice or failure to comply with its terms shall be grounds for denial of the application. Such grounds may be waived by the Arkansas Public Service Commission when the public interest permits.
AR Code § 23-4-402 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 4 - Utilities — Rate Changes and Surcharges Generally|§ 23-4-402. Notice of proposed changes

 (a) Unless the Arkansas Public Service Commission otherwise orders, no public utility shall make any change in any rate duly established under this act except after thirty (30) days' notice to the commission. This notice shall plainly state the changes proposed to be made in the rates then in force and the time when the changed rates will go into effect.  (b) The utility shall also give notice of the proposed changes to other interested parties as the commission in its discretion may direct.
AR Code § 23-4-403 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 4 - Utilities — Rate Changes and Surcharges Generally|§ 23-4-403. Changes allowed without notice

 The Arkansas Public Service Commission, for good cause shown, may allow changes in rates without requiring the thirty (30) days' notice under such conditions as it may prescribe. All allowed changes shall be immediately indicated upon its schedules by the public utility.
AR Code § 23-4-404 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 4 - Utilities — Rate Changes and Surcharges Generally|§ 23-4-404. Proposed changes to be reflected in schedules

 All proposed changes shall be shown by filing new schedules or shall be plainly indicated upon schedules filed and in force at the time and kept open to public inspection.
AR Code § 23-4-405 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 4 - Utilities — Rate Changes and Surcharges Generally|§ 23-4-405. Investigation of proposed rates

 Whenever there is filed with the Arkansas Public Service Commission by any public utility a schedule stating a new rate, the commission, upon reasonable notice, may enter upon any investigation, either upon complaint or upon its own motion, concerning the lawfulness of the rate.
AR Code § 23-4-406 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 4 - Utilities — Rate Changes and Surcharges Generally|§ 23-4-406. Test periods to justify new rates

 For the purpose of justifying the reasonableness of a proposed new rate schedule, a utility may utilize either a historical test period of twelve (12) consecutive calendar months or a forward-looking test period of twelve (12) consecutive calendar months consisting of six (6) months of actual historical data derived from the books and records of the utility and six (6) months of projected data which together shall be the period or test year upon which fair and reasonable rates shall be determined by the Arkansas Public Service Commission. However, the commission shall also permit adjustments to any test year so utilized to reflect the effects on an annualized basis of any and all changes in circumstances which may occur within twelve (12) months after the end of the test year where such changes are both reasonably known and measurable.
AR Code § 23-4-407 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 4 - Utilities — Rate Changes and Surcharges Generally|§ 23-4-407. Suspension of proposed rates

 (a) Pending its investigation and the decision thereon, the Arkansas Public Service Commission may suspend the operation of the rate by written order at any time before the new rate becomes effective. However, the suspension shall not be for a longer period than nine (9) months beyond the time when the rate would otherwise go into effect. Any order initially suspending the rate shall set a specific date for the commencement of a hearing inquiring into the rate requested unless waived by the applicant utility.  (b)  (1) Provided, however, that the commission may suspend, for a time certain, the operation of the rate or rates for a longer period than nine (9) months beyond the time when such rate or rates would otherwise go into effect if the public utility which filed the rate or rates files a waiver in writing with the commission before the expiration of the previously ordered suspension period consenting to such an additional suspension. The commission may not suspend a rate or rates for any additional period greater than that consented to by the public utility.  (2) The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any telephone company or telephone cooperative which has fewer than ten thousand (10,000) access lines.
AR Code § 23-4-408 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 4 - Utilities — Rate Changes and Surcharges Generally|§ 23-4-408. Interim implementation of suspended rates

 (a) If the public utility contends that an immediate and impelling necessity exists for the requested rate increase, a petition may be filed with the Arkansas Public Service Commission narrating the alleged circumstances and requesting a hearing on the petition.  (b) The hearing must commence within thirty (30) days from the date of the filing of the petition or at such subsequent time as may be mutually agreeable to the commission and the utility.  (c) If the commission finds at the hearing that there is substantial merit to the allegation of the utility's claims, the commission may permit all or a portion of the rate to become effective if there is filed with the commission a bond to be approved by it, payable to the State of Arkansas in such amount and with such sufficient security to insure the prompt payment of any damages or refunds, with interest, to the persons entitled thereto if the rate so put into effect is finally determined to be excessive or if there is substituted for the bond other arrangements satisfactory to the commission for the protection of the parties interested.  (d) The findings of the commission relative to the petition of the utility for the immediate and impelling necessity for relief shall be issued on or before the sixtieth day following the date of filing of the petition.
AR Code § 23-4-409 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 4 - Utilities — Rate Changes and Surcharges Generally|§ 23-4-409. Rate increase not effective until final order

 Unless the Arkansas Public Service Commission finds an immediate and impelling necessity exists as provided in § 23-4-408, or fails to enter a timely order as provided in § 23-4-411, no public utility shall place any rate increase into effect until a final decision and order is made by the commission.
AR Code § 23-4-411 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 4 - Utilities — Rate Changes and Surcharges Generally|§ 23-4-411. Failure of commission to reach timely decision — Conditional implementation of suspended rates

 In the event no final rate determination has been made upon the schedule for new rates within ten (10) months after the date the schedule for new rates was filed with the Arkansas Public Service Commission, the public utility may put the suspended rate into effect for all bills rendered thereafter immediately upon the filing of a bond to be approved by the commission payable to the State of Arkansas in such amount and with sufficient security to insure prompt payment of any refunds to the persons entitled thereto, including an interest rate as determined by the commission not to exceed the maximum interest otherwise allowed by law, if the rate or rates so put into effect are finally determined to be excessive. There may be substituted for the bond other arrangements satisfactory to the commission for the protection of the parties interested.
AR Code § 23-4-412 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 4 - Utilities — Rate Changes and Surcharges Generally|§ 23-4-412. Issuance of commission order — Rates to be collected

 Notwithstanding any other provisions of this act, upon issuance of the findings and order of the Arkansas Public Service Commission as prescribed in § 23-2-421, no public utility subject to the order shall continue to collect any rates theretofore permitted to be collected under bond. The public utility shall be permitted to collect only those rates set in the order of the commission, and those rates shall be effective throughout any rehearing and judicial review proceedings permitted and prescribed in §§ 23-2-422 — 23-2-424.
AR Code § 23-4-413 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 4 - Utilities — Rate Changes and Surcharges Generally|§ 23-4-413. Surcharge to collect rates increased by courts

 (a) In the event that the rates set in the order of the Arkansas Public Service Commission subsequently are determined to have been inadequate, either on rehearing or in accordance with court decision on judicial review, the public utility subject to the order shall be entitled to impose a surcharge on the affected customers for collection of the increased rates that otherwise would have been collected during the period between the effective date of the initial order and the effective date of the rates as increased, together with interest as determined by the commission at a rate not to exceed the maximum interest rate otherwise allowed by law.  (b) This surcharge shall be assessed over a period equal to the period between the date of the initial order and the effective date of the rates, as increased.  (c) The surcharge shall be distributed among the affected customers in proportion to the amounts those customers were charged during the period between the date of the initial order and the effective date of the rates, as increased.
AR Code § 23-4-414 (2020)
2020 Arkansas Code|Title 23 - Public Utilities and Regulated Industries|Subtitle 1 - Public Utilities And Carriers|Chapter 4 - Regulation of Rates and Charges Generally|Subchapter 4 - Utilities — Rate Changes and Surcharges Generally|§ 23-4-414. Refunds of excessive rate collections under bond

 In the event a public utility has implemented under bond or other arrangements as a matter involving an immediate and impelling necessity pursuant to § 23-4-408 an amount which exceeds that allowed by the Arkansas Public Service Commission in its final order, the commission shall order the immediate refund of the excessive bonded collections.