reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
AR Code § 23-4-415 (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|§ 23-4-415. Refunds of excessive bonded collections — Order not stayed during rehearing

 An application for rehearing pursuant to § 23-2-422 filed by a party aggrieved by the final order of the Arkansas Public Service Commission shall not stay the effectiveness of the order as it pertains to refunds of excessive bonded collections.
AR Code § 23-4-416 (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|§ 23-4-416. Surcharge to collect excessive refunds

 In the event that the amount of refunds ordered by the Arkansas Public Service Commission in its final order is subsequently determined to have been excessive, either on rehearing or in accordance with a court decision on judicial review, the public utility subject to the order shall be entitled to impose an additional surcharge on the affected customers to recover that portion of the refunds to which it was entitled, together with interest as determined by the commission at a rate not to exceed the maximum interest rate otherwise allowed by law. The surcharge shall be assessed over a period equal to the period between the date the rates were implemented under bond and the date of the commission's final order. The surcharge shall be distributed among the affected customers in proportion to the amount of refunds those customers received.
AR Code § 23-4-417 (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|§ 23-4-417. Petition for mandamus

 If the Arkansas Public Service Commission's order is not issued before the expiration of the period of suspension, the filed rates shall remain subject to refund as provided in § 23-4-414, but the applicant utility shall have the right to petition the Pulaski County Circuit Court for a writ of mandamus compelling the issuance of an order by the commission within fifteen (15) days of the writ of mandamus issued by the Pulaski County Circuit Court. The petition shall be advanced on the docket above all other pending civil cases and a hearing thereon shall be held within seven (7) days of the filing of the petition. The scope of review shall be limited to the issue of the failure of the commission to act within the time limits provided for in this act.
AR Code § 23-4-418 (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|§ 23-4-418. Suit to compel refunds — Proceeds

 (a) If the public utility fails to make refunds within thirty (30) days after the effective date of the order requiring such refunds, the Arkansas Public Service Commission shall bring suit in the name of the State of Arkansas for the use and benefit of all those entitled to a refund in any court of competent jurisdiction and shall recover the amount of all refunds due, together with interest thereon at a rate not to exceed the maximum rate otherwise allowed by law, and all court costs.  (b) No suit to recover the refunds shall be maintained unless instituted within two (2) years after the final determination.  (c) The amount recovered shall be paid to the clerk of the court where the suit was pending, and it shall be the clerk's duty to distribute the amount recovered to the persons entitled thereto as directed by the order of judgment of the court.
AR Code § 23-4-419 (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|§ 23-4-419. Applications for additional increases

 (a) No public utility which has filed an application with the Arkansas Public Service Commission for a general increase in the utility rates charged by the utility shall be permitted by the commission to file an additional application for a general rate increase until thirty (30) days after the occurrence of whichever of the following events first occurs:  (1) The commission makes a final rate determination as required by § 23-4-409 in the last previous general rate application then under consideration by the commission; or  (2) The ten-month period following the filing of the utility's previous general rate application expires and no final rate determination has been made with respect to the utility's previous general rate application within the ten-month period.    (b) However, an application for a change in rates filed pursuant to § 23-4-501 et seq. shall not be considered a general rate increase for the purposes of this section.  (c) It is the intent and purpose of this section to expedite the orderly and speedy determination by the commission of public utility rate filing applications and to enable the commission to devote sufficient staff time and commission effort in regard thereto without being overburdened by additional rate filings by the same public utility until the rate application then under consideration has been considered and a final decision and order entered by the commission.
AR Code § 23-4-420 (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|§ 23-4-420. Reports on status of applications

 (a) Quarterly, the Arkansas Public Service Commission shall appear before the Legislative Council, file a written report, and make such oral reports as the Legislative Council may request concerning the status of all utility rate applications pending before the commission, including:  (1) An identification of the cases filed;  (2) The status of staff progress, if any;  (3) The schedule of hearings and deadlines established for disposition of each case;  (4) The date on which hearings have been held or are scheduled to be held; and  (5) The projected date of completion of hearings and issuance of a final order in connection with each case.    (b) In the event the commission has failed to conclude a hearing and issue an order on a particular rate application within the deadlines established by law, the commission shall file with the Legislative Council a detailed statement of the reasons for the delay or failure to complete the hearing and ruling thereon within the deadline set by law, and shall advise the Legislative Council of any impact or effect thereof upon the ratepayers of the utility.  (c) The Legislative Council shall schedule an appropriate date and shall give notice thereof to the commission of the date on which the commission is to appear before the Legislative Council to make its quarterly report, as requested in this section.
AR Code § 23-4-421 (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|§ 23-4-421. No changes allowed in terms of employment subject to collective bargaining agreement

 In establishing public utility rates, the Arkansas Public Service Commission shall not reduce or otherwise change any wage rate, benefit, working condition, or other term or condition of employment that is the subject of a collective bargaining agreement between the public utility and a labor organization.
AR Code § 23-4-501 (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 5 - Utilities — Special Surcharges|§ 23-4-501. Authority to recover costs through interim rate schedule

 (a)  (1) Upon a proper filing with the Arkansas Public Service Commission, a public utility shall be permitted to recover in a prompt and timely manner all investments and expenses through an interim surcharge, if the investments or expenses:  (A) Are not currently being recovered in existing rates;  (B) Are reasonably incurred;  (C) Were not reasonably known and measurable at a time that allowed for a reasonable opportunity for the inclusion and consideration of the investments or expenses for recovery in the public utility's last general rate case;  (D) Are incurred by the public utility to comply with legislative or administrative rules or requirements;  (E) Relate to the protection of the public health, safety, or the environment;  (F) Cannot otherwise be recovered in a prompt and timely manner; and  (G) Are any of the following:  (i) Mandatory;  (ii) A condition of continued operation of a utility facility; or  (iii) Previously approved by the commission.      (2) The interim surcharge shall be effective until the implementation of new rate schedules in connection with the next general rate filing of the public utility in which such investments or expenses can be included in the public utility's base rate schedule.  (3) However, the costs to be recovered through such an interim surcharge described in subdivisions (a)(1) and (2) of this section shall not include increases in the cost for employment compensation or benefits as a result of legislative or regulatory action.    (b)  (1) A public utility shall be permitted to recover, through an interim surcharge, the allowance for funds used during construction that would otherwise be accrued and capitalized that is incurred during the construction of facilities and equipment required for compliance with such legislative or administrative rules or requirements, provided that any such allowance for funds used during construction has not been capitalized or otherwise included in the utility's currently effective rates.  (2) The public utility shall not capitalize or otherwise recover through rates any allowance for funds used during construction incurred in connection with investments described in subdivision (b)(1) of this section when the associated financing costs are included in an interim surcharge.
AR Code § 23-4-502 (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 5 - Utilities — Special Surcharges|§ 23-4-502. Filing interim rate schedule

 A public utility as defined in § 23-1-101 may recover all investments and expenses described in § 23-4-501 by filing with the Arkansas Public Service Commission, no more frequently than one (1) time every six (6) months, an interim rate schedule that would impose a separate surcharge in addition to its currently effective rates until the implementation of new rate schedules in connection with the next general rate filing of the public utility in which such investments and expenses can be included in the public utility's base rate schedules.
AR Code § 23-4-503 (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 5 - Utilities — Special Surcharges|§ 23-4-503. Calculation of interim surcharge

 The amount of the interim surcharge to be added to the public utility's rates shall be calculated so as to produce annual revenues equal to the additional annualized revenue requirement to which the public utility would be entitled had the investments and expenses described in § 23-4-501 been included in the public utility's most recent rate determination by the Arkansas Public Service Commission.
AR Code § 23-4-504 (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 5 - Utilities — Special Surcharges|§ 23-4-504. Surcharge effective upon filing

 The surcharge shall become effective immediately upon filing.
AR Code § 23-4-505 (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 5 - Utilities — Special Surcharges|§ 23-4-505. Investigation by commission

 The Arkansas Public Service Commission shall enter upon an investigation concerning the reasonableness of the surcharge within thirty (30) days after filing and upon reasonable notice to the utility.
AR Code § 23-4-506 (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 5 - Utilities — Special Surcharges|§ 23-4-506. Collection subject to refund

 The surcharge shall be collected subject to refund, and the Arkansas Public Service Commission may require reasonable security to assure the prompt payment of any refunds that may be ordered.
AR Code § 23-4-507 (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 5 - Utilities — Special Surcharges|§ 23-4-507. Modification or disapproval of surcharge

 (a) After its investigation and hearing thereon, the Arkansas Public Service Commission may modify or disapprove all or any portion of the surcharge upon a finding that:  (1) The investments or expenses were not reasonably incurred to comply with legislative or administrative rules or requirements;  (2) The investments or expenses do not relate to the protection of the public health, safety, or the environment;  (3) The investments or expenses were not substantiated;  (4) The amount of the surcharge has been erroneously calculated;  (5) The investments or expenses are already being recovered in existing rates;  (6) The investments or expenses were reasonably known and measurable at a time that allowed for a reasonable opportunity for their inclusion and consideration for recovery in the public utility's last general rate case;  (7) The investments or expenses were not reasonably incurred;  (8) The investments or expenses can otherwise be recovered in a prompt and timely manner;  (9) The allocation of the surcharge among the customers of the public utility is unreasonable; or  (10) The investments or expenses were not:  (A) Mandatory;  (B) A condition of continued operation of a utility facility; or  (C) Previously approved by the commission.      (b)  (1) If the commission determines that the allocation of the surcharge among the customers of the utility should be modified, it shall fix and determine the appropriate allocation among the utility's customers which shall be applied prospectively.  (2) The commission shall further direct the utility to credit or charge, as the case may be, the affected classes of customers whose surcharges were determined to be improperly allocated for the period between the effective date of the surcharge and the effective date of the modification. As to those classes of customers entitled to credits, the utility also shall pay interest on those credits, as applicable.    (c) If the commission determines that all or any portion of the proposed surcharge should be disapproved under subsection (a) of this section, the commission shall determine the just and reasonable amount of the surcharge to be charged or applied by the public utility after the time the proposed surcharge took effect. In the same order, the commission shall fix the amounts, plus interest, if any, to be refunded to the utility's customers.
AR Code § 23-4-508 (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 5 - Utilities — Special Surcharges|§ 23-4-508. Application for rehearing no stay of order

 An application for rehearing pursuant to § 23-2-422 filed by a party aggrieved by an order of the Arkansas Public Service Commission entered pursuant to this subchapter shall not stay the effectiveness of the order of the commission.
AR Code § 23-4-509 (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 5 - Utilities — Special Surcharges|§ 23-4-509. Inadequate surcharges permitted by commission — Additional surcharges

 (a) In the event that the amount of the surcharge permitted by the order of the Arkansas Public Service Commission is subsequently determined to have been inadequate, either on rehearing or in accordance with a court decision on judicial review, the public utility subject to such an order shall be entitled to impose an additional surcharge on the affected customers to recover that portion of the surcharge which was not approved by the commission which should have been collected during the period between the effective date of the initial order and the final determination or rehearing or by the court on judicial review.  (b) The surcharge shall be assessed over a period equal to the period between the date of the initial order and the effective date of the final determination on rehearing or by the court on judicial review.  (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 final determination on rehearing or by the court on judicial review.
AR Code § 23-4-601 (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 6 - Railroads and Other Carriers Generally|§ 23-4-601. Construction of §§ 23-4-602, 23-4-608 — 23-4-610, 23-4-615, 23-4-706, 23-10-301, and 23-11-101

 Nothing in §§ 23-4-602, 23-4-608 — 23-4-610, 23-4-615, 23-4-706, 23-10-301, and 23-11-101 shall be so construed as to amend or repeal any act prior to May 28, 1907, in force, nor to curtail or limit the powers and duties of the Arkansas Department of Transportation.
AR Code § 23-4-602 (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 6 - Railroads and Other Carriers Generally|§ 23-4-602. Violations of §§ 23-4-601, 23-4-608 — 23-4-610, 23-4-615, 23-4-706, 23-10-301, and 23-11-101, tariff of charges, or rules of department — Penalties — Recovery

 (a) If any person or corporation operating a railroad or express company in this state or any receiver, trustee, or lessee of any such person or corporation violates any of the provisions of §§ 23-4-601, 23-4-608 — 23-4-610, 23-4-615, 23-4-706, 23-10-301, and 23-11-101, or aids or abets therein, or violates the tariff of charges as fixed by the Arkansas Department of Transportation or any of the rules regarding railroads or express companies as made by the department and for which there is no other penalty prescribed, then such a person or corporation, receiver, trustee, or lessee shall be liable to a penalty of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) nor more than three thousand dollars ($3,000) for each violation of §§ 23-4-601, 23-4-608 — 23-4-610, 23-4-615, 23-4-706, 23-10-301, and 23-11-101 or such tariff of charges or rules and regulations.  (b)  (1) The penalty may be recovered by an action to be brought in the name of the State of Arkansas in the county in which such a violation may occur.  (2)  (A) The department shall institute actions for the recovery of the penalties prescribed in §§ 23-4-601, 23-4-608 — 23-4-610, 23-4-615, 23-4-706, 23-10-301, and 23-11-101 through the prosecuting attorney of the proper district.  (B) The prosecuting attorney shall be allowed a fee by the court not to exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the amount collected.  (C) If any prosecuting attorney neglects for fifteen (15) days after notice to bring suit, the department may employ some other attorney at law to bring the suit, who shall be allowed a fee therefor to be fixed by the court not to exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the amount collected.    (3) No suit shall be dismissed or compromised without the consent of the court and of the department. In such cases the prosecuting attorney shall not interfere.    (c) In all trials of cases brought for violation of any tariff of charges by the department, it may be shown in evidence that the tariff so fixed was unjust.  (d) Nothing in this section shall be so construed as to in any manner interfere with any action for damages which may be provided by law.
AR Code § 23-4-603 (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 6 - Railroads and Other Carriers Generally|§ 23-4-603. Railroads — Charges to be reasonable and just

 All charges made for any service rendered or to be rendered in the transportation of passengers or property on any railroad in this state, or in connection therewith, or for receiving, delivering, storing, or handling such property shall be reasonable and just. Every unjust and unreasonable charge for such a service is prohibited and declared to be unlawful.
AR Code § 23-4-604 (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 6 - Railroads and Other Carriers Generally|§ 23-4-604. Railroads and express companies — Schedule of rates

 (a) In order to ascertain what the regular charge of those companies are, all railroad and express companies doing business in this state are required to keep in all their offices in this state a schedule of the regular rates charged by them, which shall be open to the inspection of any person interested therein.  (b) Any agent of any railroad or express company who fails or refuses to show the schedule of rates of the company to any person interested therein and allow him or her to examine the schedule of rates as provided in subsection (a) of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined in any sum not less than one hundred dollars ($100) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500).
AR Code § 23-4-605 (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 6 - Railroads and Other Carriers Generally|§ 23-4-605. Railroads and express companies — Overcharging prohibited

 (a) All agents of railroad and express companies doing business in this state are prohibited from charging, collecting, or receiving pay for any goods, wares, packages, merchandise, or any article whatever that may be sent or received by or through their respective offices in excess of the regular rates charged for those articles.  (b) Any person who violates the provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined in any sum not less than one hundred dollars ($100) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500).