15 USC 717o

§ 717o

TITLE 15—COMMERCE AND TRADE

(June 21, 1938, ch. 556, § 15, 52 Stat. 829; Pub. L.
109–58, title III, § 313(a), Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat.
688.)
REFERENCES IN TEXT
The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, referred to in subsec. (b)(1), is Pub. L. 91–190, Jan. 1, 1970,
83 Stat. 852, as amended, which is classified generally
to chapter 55 (§ 4321 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public
Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this
Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 4321 of Title 42 and Tables.
The Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, referred to
in subsec. (d)(1), is title III of Pub. L. 89–454, as added
by Pub. L. 92–583, Oct. 27, 1972, 86 Stat. 1280, as amended, which is classified generally to chapter 33 (§ 1451 et
seq.) of Title 16, Conservation. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set
out under section 1451 of Title 16 and Tables.
AMENDMENTS
2005—Pub. L. 109–58 substituted ‘‘Process coordination; hearings; rules of procedure’’ for ‘‘Hearings; rules
of procedure’’ in section catchline, added subsecs. (a) to
(d), and redesignated former subsecs. (a) and (b) as (e)
and (f), respectively.

§ 717o. Administrative powers of Commission;
rules, regulations, and orders
The Commission shall have power to perform
any and all acts, and to prescribe, issue, make,
amend, and rescind such orders, rules, and regulations as it may find necessary or appropriate
to carry out the provisions of this chapter.
Among other things, such rules and regulations
may define accounting, technical, and trade
terms used in this chapter; and may prescribe
the form or forms of all statements, declarations, applications, and reports to be filed with
the Commission, the information which they
shall contain, and the time within which they
shall be filed. Unless a different date is specified
therein, rules and regulations of the Commission shall be effective thirty days after publication in the manner which the Commission shall
prescribe. Orders of the Commission shall be effective on the date and in the manner which the
Commission shall prescribe. For the purposes of
its rules and regulations, the Commission may
classify persons and matters within its jurisdiction and prescribe different requirements for different classes of persons or matters. All rules
and regulations of the Commission shall be filed
with its secretary and shall be kept open in convenient form for public inspection and examination during reasonable business hours.
(June 21, 1938, ch. 556, § 16, 52 Stat. 830.)
§ 717p. Joint boards
(a) Reference of matters to joint boards; composition and power
The Commission may refer any matter arising
in the administration of this chapter to a board
to be composed of a member or members, as determined by the Commission, from the State or
each of the States affected or to be affected by
such matter. Any such board shall be vested
with the same power and be subject to the same
duties and liabilities as in the case of a member
of the Commission when designated by the Commission to hold any hearings. The action of such
board shall have such force and effect and its

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proceedings shall be conducted in such manner
as the Commission shall by regulations prescribe. The Board shall be appointed by the
Commission from persons nominated by the
State commission of each State affected, or by
the Governor of such State if there is no State
commission. Each State affected shall be entitled to the same number of representatives on
the board unless the nominating power of such
State waives such right. The Commission shall
have discretion to reject the nominee from any
State, but shall thereupon invite a new nomination from that State. The members of a board
shall receive such allowances for expenses as the
Commission shall provide. The Commission
may, when in its discretion sufficient reason exists therefor, revoke any reference to such a
board.
(b) Conference with State commissions regarding rate structure, costs, etc.
The Commission may confer with any State
commission regarding rate structures, costs, accounts, charges, practices, classifications, and
regulations of natural-gas companies; and the
Commission is authorized, under such rules and
regulations as it shall prescribe, to hold joint
hearings with any State commission in connection with any matter with respect to which the
Commission is authorized to act. The Commission is authorized in the administration of this
chapter to avail itself of such cooperation, services, records, and facilities as may be afforded
by any State commission.
(c) Information and reports available to State
commissions
The Commission shall make available to the
several State commissions such information and
reports as may be of assistance in State regulation of natural-gas companies. Whenever the
Commission can do so without prejudice to the
efficient and proper conduct of its affairs, it
may, upon request from a State commission,
make available to such State commission as
witnesses any of its trained rate, valuation, or
other experts, subject to reimbursement of the
compensation and traveling expenses of such
witnesses. All sums collected hereunder shall be
credited to the appropriation from which the
amounts were expended in carrying out the provisions of this subsection.
(June 21, 1938, ch. 556, § 17, 52 Stat. 830.)
§ 717q. Appointment of officers and employees
The Commission is authorized to appoint and
fix the compensation of such officers, attorneys,
examiners, and experts as may be necessary for
carrying out its functions under this chapter;
and the Commission may, subject to civil-service laws, appoint such other officers and employees as are necessary for carrying out such functions and fix their salaries in accordance with
chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of
title 5.
(June 21, 1938, ch. 556, § 18, 52 Stat. 831; Oct. 28,
1949, ch. 782, title XI, § 1106(a), 63 Stat. 972.)
CODIFICATION
Provisions that authorized the Commission to appoint and fix the compensation of such officers, attor-