reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 25 § 4 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 25 - Department of Public Utilities|Section 4 - Chairman of Commission; Powers and Duties; Hearings; Investigations; Reports

Section 4. The chairman shall have and exercise supervision and control over all the affairs of the commission. He shall preside at all hearings at which he is present, and shall designate a commissioner to act as chairman in his absence. He shall not, except as is otherwise provided herein, be charged with any administrative functions. In order to promote efficiency in administration he shall from time to time make such division or redivision of the work of the department among the commissioners as he deems expedient and may refer matters related to the need for, construction of, or siting of facilities, as defined in section sixty-nine G of chapter one hundred and sixty-four, as he deems appropriate to the energy facilities siting board in accordance with section sixty-nine H of chapter one hundred and sixty-four. All of the commissioners shall, if so directed by the chairman, participate in the hearing and decision of any matter coming before the commission. In the hearing of all matters other than those of formal or administrative character coming before the commission, at least 2 commissioners shall participate and in the decision of all such matters at least 2 commissioners shall participate; provided, that any such matter may be heard, examined and investigated by an employee of the department designated and assigned thereto by the chairman with the concurrence of one other commissioner. Such employee shall make a report in writing relative to every such matter to the commission for its decision thereon. For the purposes of hearing, examining and investigating any such matter such employee shall have all of the powers conferred upon a commissioner by section five A, and all pertinent provisions of said section shall apply to such proceedings. In every such case the concurrence of a majority of the commissioners participating in the decision shall be necessary therefor.
MA Gen L ch 25 § 4a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 25 - Department of Public Utilities|Section 4a - Hearings on Change of Rates or Reduction in or Discontinuance of Service; Time and Place

Section 4A. Upon request of the mayor of a city or the selectman of a town, or of a member of the general court or of twenty customers of the company affected, a public hearing ordered by the department, to be held in connection with any change in rates or reduction in or discontinuance of service, shall be held in the city or town or area wherein the company affected does business or in which any decision of the commission would apply. No public hearing on a discontinuance of service by a common carrier of passengers by motor vehicle shall take place until the expiration of thirty days from notice thereof to the public in the city, town or area affected thereby, and such notice shall be given in the manner provided by section three of chapter thirty A. The department shall, at least fourteen days prior to holding any public hearing under this section, notify in writing the mayor of each city and the selectmen of each town in which the company does business of the time and place of such hearing.
MA Gen L ch 25 § 4b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 25 - Department of Public Utilities|Section 4b - Authority of Commissioner Upon Declaration of State of Emergency

Section 4B. Upon declaration by the governor that a state of emergency exists, the governor may authorize the chairman of the department of public utilities to take such action that the chairman may consider necessary to assure public safety and welfare through the priority restoration or continuing availability of gas, electric and water utility services. Under such authority, the chairman may issue operational and management directives and order expenditures or other measures by any investor-owned utility that the chairman considers necessary to respond to the state of emergency, including but not limited to, expenditures for the deployment of personnel, equipment and other assets or property of an alternative utility to assume responsibility for the restoration of service if, in the judgment of the chairman, the affected utility is incapable of restoring service. The chairman shall have immediate access to all utility documents, information and personnel necessary to respond to the state of emergency; provided, however, that documents and information provided to the chairman during such state of emergency shall be subject to the exemption provided by subclause (n) of clause 26 of section 7 of chapter 4, to the extent necessary to protect the public safety. The chairman may temporarily suspend any department rule or regulation and implement any emergency rule, procedure or protocol that is necessary to respond to the emergency. Any orders issued by the chairman shall expire within 30 business days unless ratified by the commission prior to the 30 day expiration; provided, however, that said ratification by the commission shall prescribe an end date for each order. Expenses authorized by the chairman under this section may be recognized by the department for all purposes as proper business expenses of the affected utility or alternative utility subject to investigation and recovery through rates. The affected utility shall be required to reimburse the alternative utility for all its costs incurred within 90 days of the receipt of invoices for the cost of service. Failure of any investor-owned utility to carry out an order by the chairman authorized under this section shall be subject to investigation and a penalty of up to $1,000,000 per violation. A penalty levied by the department shall be returned to ratepayers through distribution rates. Any investor-owned utility aggrieved by an order or directive issued by the chairman under this section may request a hearing within 90 days from the date the state of emergency ends.
MA Gen L ch 25 § 5a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 25 - Department of Public Utilities|Section 5a - Witnesses; Summonses; Subpoenas; Fees

Section 5A. In all investigations and inquiries authorized by law to be made by the department and in all proceedings before it, any commissioner of the department may summon witnesses, administer oaths and take testimony. The fees of such witnesses for attendance and travel shall be the same as for witnesses before the superior court and shall be paid by the commonwealth upon the certificate of the department filed with the comptroller. The fees of such witnesses need not be paid or tendered to them prior to their attendance and testimony. Subpoenas may be issued at the instance of a complainant, respondent or any other party to any proceeding before the commission under such rules as the department may establish, in which case the cost of service and the fees of witnesses shall be borne by the party at whose instance the witness is summoned, and such fees shall be paid to the witnesses as provided in the case of witnesses before the superior court.
MA Gen L ch 25 § 5b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 25 - Department of Public Utilities|Section 5b - Rules and Regulations

Section 5B. The department shall issue, following public hearings in accordance with chapter thirty A, rules and regulations for the enforcement of section thirty-three A of chapter one hundred and sixty-four.
MA Gen L ch 25 § 5c (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 25 - Department of Public Utilities|Section 5c - Hazardous Materials; Rail Transportation Regulations

Section 5C. The department shall promulgate, in accordance with chapter thirty A, rules and regulations for the transportation by rail of hazardous materials in the commonwealth. Said regulations shall be consistent with any federal regulations in effect.
MA Gen L ch 25 § 5d (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 25 - Department of Public Utilities|Section 5d - Trade Secrets, Confidential Information; Protection From Disclosure; Burden of Proof

Section 5D. Notwithstanding the provisions of clause Twenty-sixth of section seven of chapter four and section ten of chapter sixty-six, the department may protect from public disclosure, trade secrets, confidential, competitively sensitive or other proprietary information provided in the course of proceedings conducted pursuant to this chapter. There shall be a presumption that the information for which such protection is sought is public information and the burden shall be upon the proponent of such protection to prove the need for such protection. Where such a need has been found to exist, the department shall protect only so much of the information as is necessary to meet such need. The department shall promulgate procedural rules and regulations consistent with this section as it deems necessary to implement the provisions hereof.
MA Gen L ch 25 § 5e (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 25 - Department of Public Utilities|Section 5e - Audit of Companies Subject to Jurisdiction of Department; Time of Commencement; Payment of Costs; Filing of Results

Section 5E. The department may, from time to time, audit all companies subject to its jurisdiction, except steam distribution companies. Such audits may include, but shall not be limited to, review of the following documents: (a) all financial statements, the balance sheet, the income statement, the statement of cash flows, the statement of retained earnings, the notes to the financial statements, and the information in the annual return to the department; (b) all documents concerning reconciling mechanisms related to rates, prices, charges, or costs and savings related to a merger, acquisition or consolidation within 3 years after the merger, acquisition or consolidation; and (c) documents concerning service quality measure statistics and service quality performance at least every 3 years or whenever service quality penalties equal to or exceed 50 per cent of the maximum.  Upon written complaint of the attorney general requesting an independent audit of a company subject to the department's jurisdiction, the department shall commence a proceeding within 30 days of receipt of the complaint for the purpose of ordering the requested audit in a reasonable time. The results of any audit so ordered shall be filed promptly with the department and each audit shall be paid for by the company that is the subject of the audit.
MA Gen L ch 25 § 7 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 25 - Department of Public Utilities|Section 7 - Duties Relative to Common Carriers; Employees; Division of Railroad Track Inspection

Section 7. For the performance of the department's duties relative to common carriers the commission may appoint or employ and remove such engineers, accountants, statisticians, bureau chiefs and division heads, assistants, inspectors, clerks and other subordinates as are required therefor, and may appoint on such terms as it deems advisable a counsel and attorneys who, in the conduct of litigation and court proceedings, shall act under the direction of the attorney general. Accountants shall be skilled in the methods of railroad accounting and under the direction of the commission shall supervise the method by which the accounts of corporations operating railroads or street railways are kept. The commission shall appoint one or more competent experts to examine the reports required by section eighty-three of chapter one hundred and fifty-nine, and may, whenever in its opinion public interest requires, in connection with any proposed issue of stock or bonds by a railroad corporation or street railway company, employ competent experts to investigate the character, cost and value for railroad or railway purposes of the property of such corporation or company.  There shall be in the department a division of railroad track inspection which shall be charged with inspecting and reporting the condition and safety factor of all railroad track in the commonwealth. Said division shall maintain a continuous up to date cumulative record of all such inspections which shall be available to the public.
MA Gen L ch 25 § 8 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 25 - Department of Public Utilities|Section 8 - Duties Relative to Common Carriers; Expenditures

Section 8. For the performance of the department's duties relative to common carriers the commission may expend annually such sums to procure opinions, advice, plans, surveys, appraisals, audits, examinations, statistics, information, apparatus, instruments, books, tables, maps, drawings, supplies, sundries, and for travel within or without the commonwealth and expense incidental thereto, as it may from time to time deem requisite in the performance of its duties. It may from time to time cause to be made a compilation with annotations of the statutes of this commonwealth relating to common carriers.
MA Gen L ch 25 § 9 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 25 - Department of Public Utilities|Section 9 - Duties Relative to Water, Gas and Electric Companies; Expenditures; Employees

Section 9. For the performance of the department's duties relative to water, gas and electric companies the commission may expend annually for necessary statistics, books, stationery and contingent expenses, and for clerical and other assistance, such sums as the general court shall annually appropriate, and may appoint or employ, subject to the approval of the governor and council, such expert assistance as it may deem advisable, on such terms of office or employment as it may deem proper, and may expend therefor and for the performance of the duties imposed upon it by law such sums as the general court shall annually appropriate.
MA Gen L ch 25 § 10 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 25 - Department of Public Utilities|Section 10 - Officers and Employees; Supervision and Control

Section 10. The commission may assign to all officers and employees appointed or employed under the three preceding sections such duties as it shall from time to time deem advisable, but all acts of such officers and employees shall be done under the supervision and control of, and subject to revision by, the commission.
MA Gen L ch 25 § 10b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 25 - Department of Public Utilities|Section 10b - Filing Fees

Section 10B. Except when a fee is required by another provision of law, and except in the case of a filing by the commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions, the department shall charge and collect fees as determined annually by the commissioner of administration under the provision of section three B of chapter seven in the following instances:  1. For filing a tariff having intrastate application only, schedule or amendment thereto, or a contract filed under section seven of chapter one hundred and fifty-nine B, and for filing an application for a permit for special service, under section eleven A of chapter one hundred and fifty-nine A.  2. For filing each annual report or any contract, other than one required to be filed under section seven of chapter one hundred and fifty-nine B, required by law to be filed with the department, and for filing an appeal to the commission from a ruling or decision of the director of the transportation division, under section twelve F of this chapter.  3. For filing each application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity under chapter one hundred and fifty-nine A, for the issuance of a license for charter service under chapter one hundred and fifty-nine A, or for exemption from a zoning ordinance.  4. For filing each application by any public utility for approval of the issue of stocks, bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness according to the amount thereof, as follows:  For each additional $10,000 or fraction thereof  5. For any other approval or authority of the department.  The department shall designate one of its employees to receive all fees collected under this section who shall give bond to the state treasurer in the sum of ten thousand dollars.
MA Gen L ch 25 § 12f (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 25 - Department of Public Utilities|Section 12f - Transportation Division; Director; Assistants

Section 12F. There shall be in the department, and under the general supervision and control of the commission, a transportation division which shall be under the charge of a director, who shall be subject to chapter thirty-one and the rules and regulations made under authority thereof. The commission shall appoint said director. Said division, subject to such supervision and control, shall perform such functions in relation to the administration and enforcement of chapter one hundred and fifty-nine B imposed upon the department by said chapter as the commission may from time to time determine by order duly recorded in the office of the commission and open to public inspection. Such an order may also provide for appeals to the commission from rulings and decisions of said director. The commission may employ such assistants and employees to serve in said division as it may deem necessary, and may assign for service in said division such number, not exceeding twenty-five, of investigators and examiners as it may deem necessary.  The railway and bus division and all the powers, duties and responsibilities assigned to said railway and bus division shall be transferred to said transportation division.
MA Gen L ch 25 § 12g (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 25 - Department of Public Utilities|Section 12g - Transportation Division; Investigations and Inquiries

Section 12G. In all investigations and inquiries authorized by law to be made by the director of the transportation division, and in all proceedings before him, he may summon witnesses, administer oaths and take testimony. The provisions of section five A relative to fees of witnesses in proceedings before the department shall apply to witnesses summoned under this section.
MA Gen L ch 25 § 12n (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 25 - Department of Public Utilities|Section 12n - Facility Siting Division

Section 12N. There is hereby established within the department, and under the general supervision and control of the commission, a facility siting division which shall be under the charge of a director appointed by the commission. This division, subject to such supervision and control, shall perform such functions as the commission may determine in relation to the administration, implementation, and enforcement of sections sixty-nine G through sixty-nine S, inclusive, of chapter one hundred and sixty-four imposed upon the department and the energy facilities siting board by said sections.
MA Gen L ch 25 § 12o (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 25 - Department of Public Utilities|Section 12o - Department of Telecommunications and Energy Trust Fund

Section 12O. There shall be established upon the books of the commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Department of Telecommunications and Energy Trust Fund. There shall be credited to said fund all amounts collected pursuant to the second paragraph of section 18 and any income derived from the investment of amounts credited to the fund. All amounts credited to the fund shall be held in trust and shall be available for expenditure, without further appropriation, by the department of telecommunications and energy commission, for activities of the department related to the regulation of electric companies. Any unexpended balance in the fund at the close of a fiscal year shall remain in the fund and shall be available for expenditure in the following fiscal year.
MA Gen L ch 25 § 12p (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 25 - Department of Public Utilities|Section 12p - Department of Public Utilities Storm Trust Fund

Section 12P. There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Department of Public Utilities Storm Trust Fund. There shall be credited to this fund all amounts collected under the third paragraph of section 18 and any income derived from the investment of amounts credited to the fund. All amounts credited to the fund shall be held in trust and shall be available for expenditure, without further appropriation, by the department of public utilities for activities of the department in investigating the preparation for and responses to storm and other emergency events by the electric companies. Any unexpended balance in the fund at the close of a fiscal year shall remain in the fund and shall be available for expenditure in the following fiscal year.
MA Gen L ch 25 § 12q (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth|Chapter 25 - Department of Public Utilities|Section 12q - Department of Public Utilities Energy Facilities Siting Board Trust Fund

Section 12Q. There shall be a Department of Public Utilities Energy Facilities Siting Board Trust Fund. The department shall credit to the fund: (i) application fees collected pursuant to section 69J1/2 of chapter 164; and (ii) income derived from the investment of amounts credited to the fund. All amounts credited to the fund shall be held in trust and shall be available for expenditure, without further appropriation, by the department for operation of the energy facilities siting board established in section 69H of said chapter 164. Any unexpended balance in the fund at the close of a fiscal year shall remain in the fund and shall be available for expenditure in subsequent fiscal years.  Annually, not later than December 1, the department shall issue a report to the clerks of the senate and house of representatives and to the chairs of the senate and house committees on ways and means on the fund activities including, but not limited to, amounts credited to the fund, amounts expended from the fund and any unexpended balance.