49-31-12.5Filing of new schedule affecting emerging competitive service--Notice and hearing--Suspension or disapproval of price or practice.

If a telecommunications company files with the commission any tariff stating a new price or a change in price or practice affecting any emerging competitive telecommunications service, the commission:

(1)    Shall permit any proposed change in price or practice to be effective upon twenty days' notice to the commission and the customers affected by the change;

(2)    May, upon receiving a petition to intervene or upon its own motion, conduct a hearing to determine whether any new price or change in price or practice is fair and reasonable. Any petition to intervene or motion shall be filed or made within twenty days after the filing of the price or practice. The burden of proof is on the company to show that any new price or change in price or practice is fair and reasonable. Any hearing shall be completed and any order of the commission shall be issued within one hundred twenty days after the effective date of the tariff filed;

(3)    May, if the petition to intervene or motion alleges improper cross subsidization in violation of § 49-31-4 or unjust or unreasonable discrimination pursuant to § 49-31-11, suspend the effective date of any new price or a change in price or practice, if the commission determines that any remedial order of the commission pursuant to chapter 49-13 will not adequately protect a party from irreparable harm. Any suspension may not exceed thirty days following the effective date of the tariff filed; and

(4)    Shall, after notice and hearing, disapprove any price or practice found to be unfair and unreasonable and may order a refund with interest of any portion of the change found to be unfair and unreasonable. During any proceedings under this section, a telecommunications company shall keep accurate records of the amounts collected as a result of the increased price in the event of a refund at the conclusion of all proceedings.

Source: SL 1988, ch 375, § 21; SL 1992, ch 328, § 21.