27-517. Hearings; reporter; fees

A. Any interested person shall, by written request, have the right to have the commissioner call a hearing for the purpose of taking action in respect to any matter within the jurisdiction of the commissioner. Hearings shall be held at the time and place the commissioner directs, and any person having an interest in the subject matter of the hearing may appear and be heard. Upon receipt of the request, the commissioner shall promptly call a hearing, and, not more than thirty days thereafter shall take action with regard to the matter as he deems appropriate. The request for hearing shall be accompanied by a fee of fifty dollars.

B. The commissioner shall prescribe rules of order and procedure in hearings or other proceedings held under this article. The commissioner shall appoint a competent shorthand reporter to be present throughout all public hearings. The reporter shall be sworn by the commissioner faithfully to perform the duties of a reporter. The commissioner shall have the same control and authority over the reporter as the judge of the superior court exercises over a court reporter, and the duties of the reporter shall, insofar as applicable, be the same as those fixed by law for a court reporter.

C. As soon as possible following the hearing the commission shall bill the person requesting the hearing for the total cost of publication for the notices of such hearing and the total cost of the court reporter's fees less the original fifty dollar fee. The requesting party shall within ten days after receipt of the billing by the commission reimburse the commission the amount of money so billed or be subject to the penalties as prescribed in subsection A of section 27-527. The money so collected by the commission shall not be subject to section 27-523 but shall be deposited, pursuant to sections 35-146 and 35-147, by the commission in the fund from which the expenditure was originally made.