Any party or interested governmental participant desiring to take the testimony of any person by deposition on oral examination shall, without leave of the Commission or the Presiding Officer, give reasonable notice in writing to every other party and interested governmental participant, to the person to be examined, and to the Presiding Officer of the proposed time and place of taking the deposition; the name and address of each person to be examined, if known, or if the name is not known, a general description sufficient to identify him or her or the class or group to which he or she belongs, the matters upon which each person will be examined and the name or descriptive title and address of the officer before whom the deposition is to be taken.

Within the United States, a deposition may be taken before any officer authorized to administer oaths by the laws of the United States or of the place where the examination is held. Outside of the United States, a deposition may be taken before a secretary of an embassy or legation, a consul general, vice consul or consular agent of the United States, or a person authorized to administer oaths designated by the Commission. Depositions may be conducted by telephone or by video teleconference at the option of the party or interested governmental participant taking the deposition.

The deponent shall be sworn or shall affirm before any questions are put to him or her. Examination and cross-examination shall proceed as at a hearing. Each question propounded shall be recorded and the answer taken down in the words of the witness. Objections on questions of evidence shall be noted in short form without the arguments. The officer shall not decide on the competency, materiality, or relevancy of evidence but shall record the evidence subject to objection. Objections on questions of evidence not made before the officer shall not be deemed waived unless the ground of the objection is one which might have been obviated or removed if presented at that time.

When the testimony is fully transcribed, the deposition shall be submitted to the deponent for examination and signature unless the deponent is ill or cannot be found or refuses to sign. The officer shall certify the deposition or, if the deposition is not signed by the deponent, shall certify the reasons for the failure to sign, and shall promptly transmit an electronic copy of the deposition to the Secretary of the Commission for entry into the electronic docket.

Where the deposition is to be taken on written questions as authorized under § 2.1018(a)(2), the party or interested governmental participant taking the deposition shall electronically serve a copy of the questions, showing each question separately and consecutively numbered, on every other party and interested governmental participant with a notice stating the name and address of the person who is to answer them, and the name, description, title, and address of the officer before whom they are to be asked. Within ten days after service, any other party or interested governmental participant may serve cross-questions. The questions, cross-questions, and answers shall be recorded and signed, and the deposition certified, returned, and transmitted in electronic form to the Secretary of the Commission for entry into the electronic docket as in the case of a deposition on oral examination.

A deposition will not become a part of the evidentiary record in the hearing unless received in evidence. If only part of a deposition is offered in evidence by a party or interested governmental participant, any other party or interested governmental participant may introduce any other parts. A party or interested governmental participant shall not be deemed to make a person its own witness for any purpose by taking his or her deposition.

A deponent whose deposition is taken and the officer taking a deposition shall be entitled to the same fees as are paid for like services in the district courts of the United States, to be paid by the party or interested governmental participant at whose instance the deposition is taken.

The deponent may be accompanied, represented, and advised by legal counsel.

After receiving written notice of the deposition under paragraph (a) or paragraph (e) of this section, and ten days before the scheduled date of the deposition, the deponent shall submit an electronic index of all documents in his or her possession, relevant to the subject matter of the deposition, including the categories of documents set forth in paragraph (i)(2) of this section, to all parties and interested governmental participants. The index shall identify those records which have already been made available electronically. All documents that are not identical to documents already made available electronically, whether by reason of subsequent modification or by the addition of notations, shall be treated as separate documents.

The following material is excluded from the initial requirements of § 2.1003 to be made available electronically, but is subject to derivative discovery under paragraph (i)(1) of this section—

Personal records;

Travel vouchers;

Speeches;

Preliminary drafts;

Marginalia.

Subject to paragraph (i)(6) of this section, any party or interested governmental participant may request from the deponent a paper copy of any or all of the documents on the index that have not already been provided electronically.

Subject to paragraph (i)(6) of this section, the deponent shall bring a paper copy of all documents on the index that the deposing party or interested governmental participant requests that have not already been provided electronically to an oral deposition conducted pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section, or in the case of a deposition taken on written questions pursuant to paragraph (e) of this section, shall submit such documents with the certified deposition.

Subject to paragraph (i)(6) of this section, a party or interested governmental participant may request that any or all documents on the index that have not already been provided electronically, and on which it intends to rely at hearing, be made electronically available by the deponent.

The deposing party or interested governmental participant shall assume the responsibility for the obligations set forth in paragraphs (i)(1), (i)(3), (i)(4), and (i)(5) of this section when deposing someone other than a party or interested governmental participant.