Legislation
SECTION 94
General powers and duties of commission in respect to telegraph corporations and telephone corporations
Public Service (PBS) CHAPTER 48, ARTICLE 5
§ 94. General powers and duties of commission in respect to telegraph
corporations and telephone corporations. 1. The commission and each
commissioner shall have power and authority to administer oaths in all
parts of the state to witnesses summoned to testify in any inquiry,
investigation, hearing or proceeding and also to administer oaths in all
parts of the state whenever the exercise of such power is incidentally
necessary or proper to enable the commission or a commissioner to
perform a duty or to exercise a power.
2. The commission shall have general supervision of all telegraph
corporations, telephone corporations and telegraph lines and telephone
lines within its jurisdiction as hereinbefore defined and shall have
power to and shall examine the same and keep informed as to their
general condition, their capitalization, their franchises and the manner
in which their lines and property are leased, operated or managed,
conducted and operated with respect to the adequacy of and accommodation
afforded by their service and also with respect to the safety and
security of their lines and property, and with respect to their
compliance with all provisions of law, orders of the commission,
franchises and charter requirements. The commission shall have power
either through its members or inspectors or employees duly authorized by
it to enter in or upon and to inspect the property, equipment,
buildings, plants, factories, offices, apparatus, machines, devices and
lines of any telegraph corporation or telephone corporation.
3. The commission and each commissioner shall have power to examine
all books, contracts, records, documents and papers of any telegraph
corporation or telephone corporation and by subpoena duces tecum to
compel the production thereof, or of duly verified copies of the same or
of any of them.
4. The commission shall require, with respect to any charge for the
installation or initiation of service of a residential telephone line,
or any nonrecurring maintenance service charge with respect to a
residential telephone line or equipment, that any telephone corporation
imposing such a charge offer a plan for the deferred payment thereof in
installments over a period of up to one year. For the purposes of this
subdivision, charges for initiation of service are charges for the
connection of service including but not limited to charges for central
office line, premises visit, inside wire and jacks, and any related
service.
corporations and telephone corporations. 1. The commission and each
commissioner shall have power and authority to administer oaths in all
parts of the state to witnesses summoned to testify in any inquiry,
investigation, hearing or proceeding and also to administer oaths in all
parts of the state whenever the exercise of such power is incidentally
necessary or proper to enable the commission or a commissioner to
perform a duty or to exercise a power.
2. The commission shall have general supervision of all telegraph
corporations, telephone corporations and telegraph lines and telephone
lines within its jurisdiction as hereinbefore defined and shall have
power to and shall examine the same and keep informed as to their
general condition, their capitalization, their franchises and the manner
in which their lines and property are leased, operated or managed,
conducted and operated with respect to the adequacy of and accommodation
afforded by their service and also with respect to the safety and
security of their lines and property, and with respect to their
compliance with all provisions of law, orders of the commission,
franchises and charter requirements. The commission shall have power
either through its members or inspectors or employees duly authorized by
it to enter in or upon and to inspect the property, equipment,
buildings, plants, factories, offices, apparatus, machines, devices and
lines of any telegraph corporation or telephone corporation.
3. The commission and each commissioner shall have power to examine
all books, contracts, records, documents and papers of any telegraph
corporation or telephone corporation and by subpoena duces tecum to
compel the production thereof, or of duly verified copies of the same or
of any of them.
4. The commission shall require, with respect to any charge for the
installation or initiation of service of a residential telephone line,
or any nonrecurring maintenance service charge with respect to a
residential telephone line or equipment, that any telephone corporation
imposing such a charge offer a plan for the deferred payment thereof in
installments over a period of up to one year. For the purposes of this
subdivision, charges for initiation of service are charges for the
connection of service including but not limited to charges for central
office line, premises visit, inside wire and jacks, and any related
service.