1976
5 USC 5332
note
Compensation.
Duties.
Expenses.
PUBLIC LAW 93-614-JAN. 2, 1975
[88 STAT.
to receive compensation at the maximum rate as may be established from time to time for GS-16 of the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 5 of the United States Code, No person shall be appointed to the position of People's Counsel unless that person is admitted to practice before the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Before entering upon the duties of such office, the People's Counsel shall take and subscribe the same oaths as that required by the Commissioners of the Commission, including an oath or affirmation before the Clerk of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia that he is not percuniarily interested, voluntarily or involuntarily, directly or indirectly, in any public utility in the District of Columbia. (^(,) The People's Counsel is authorized to employ and fix the compensation of such employees, including attorneys, as are necessary to perform the functions vested in him by this Act, and prescribe their authority and duties. ^^) rjYie People's Counsel— (1) shall represent and appeal for the people of the District of Columbia at hearings of the Commission and in judicial proceedings involving the interests of users of the products of or services furnished by public utilities under the jurisdiction of the Commission; (2) may represent and appear for petitioners appearing before the Commission for the purpose of complaining in matters of rates or services; (3) may investigate the services given by, the rates charged by, and the valuation of the properties of, the public utilities under the jurisdiction of the Commission; and (4) is authorized to develop means to otherwise assure that the interests of users of the products of or services furnished by public utilities under the jurisdiction of the Commission are adequately represented in the course of proceedings before the Commission, including public information dissemination, consultative services, and technical assistance. SEC. '2. Paragraph 42 of section 8 of the Act of March 4, 1913 (makinjr appropriations for the government of the District of Columbia) (D.C. Code, sec. 43-412), is amended as follows: (g^,) The first seuteucc of such paragraph 42 is amended to read as follows: "The expenses, including the expenses of the Office of the People's Counsel, of any investigation, valuation, revaluation, or proceeding of any nature by the Public Service Commission of or concerning any public utility operating in the District of Columbia, and all expenses of any litigation, including appeals, arising from any such investigation, valuation, revaluation, or proceeding, or from any order or action of the Commission, shall be borne by the public utility investigated, valued, revalued, or otherwise affected as a special franchise tax in addition to all other taxes imposed by law, and such expenses with interest at 6 per centum per annum may be charged to operating expenses and amortized over such period as the Commission shall deem proper and be allowed for in the rates to be charged by such utility.". (b) The second sentence of such paragraph 42 is amended by inserting "; or certified by the People's Counsel with respect to his expenses" immediately before the period at the end of that sentence. (c) The third sentence of such paragraph 42 is amended by inserting "and the People's Counsel, combined" immediately after "Commission".
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