66-1808. Rate changes; term or condition of service; when effective.

(1) The provisions of this section do not apply to general rate filings.

(2) Unless the commission otherwise orders, no jurisdictional utility shall make effective any changed rate or any term or condition of service pertaining to the service or rates of such utility, except by filing the same with the commission at least thirty days prior to the proposed effective date. The commission, for good cause, may allow such changed rate or any term or condition of service pertaining to the service or rates of any such utility, to become effective on less than thirty days' notice. If the commission allows a change to become effective on less than thirty days' notice, the effective date of the allowed change shall be the date established in the commission order approving such change or the date of the order if no effective date is otherwise established. Any such proposed change shall be shown by filing with the commission a schedule showing the changes, and such changes shall be plainly indicated by proper reference marks in amendments or supplements to existing tariffs, schedules, or classifications, or in new issues thereof.

(3) Whenever any jurisdictional utility files with the commission the changes desired to be made and put in force by such utility, the commission, either upon complaint or upon its own motion, may give notice and hold a hearing upon such proposed changes. Pending such hearing, the commission may suspend the operation of such change and defer the effective date of such change in rate or any term or condition of service pertaining to the service or rates of any such utility, by delivering to such utility a statement in writing of its reasons for such suspension. The commission may not suspend a tariff filed pursuant to section 66-1868.

(4) The commission shall not delay the effective date of the proposed change in rate or any term or condition of service pertaining to the service or rates of any such jurisdictional utility, more than one hundred eighty days beyond the date the utility filed its application requesting the proposed change. If the commission does not suspend the proposed change within thirty days after the date the same is filed by the utility, such proposed change shall be deemed approved by the commission and shall take effect on the proposed effective date. If the commission has not issued a final order on the proposed change in any rate or any term or condition of service pertaining to the service or rates of any such utility, within one hundred eighty days after the date the utility files its application requesting the proposed change, then the proposed change shall be deemed approved by the commission and the proposed change shall be effective immediately, except that (a) in any proceeding initiated as a result of a filing by a utility of new or changed rates or terms and conditions of service, the commission shall, within thirty days of the receipt of such filing, review the applications, documents, and submissions made with such filing to determine whether or not they conform to the minimum requirements of the commission regarding such filings as established by applicable rule, regulation, or commission order. If such applications, documents, or submissions fail to substantially conform with such requirements, they will be deemed defective and the filing shall not be deemed to have been made until such applications, documents, and submissions are determined to be in conformity by the commission with minimum standards, and (b) nothing in this subsection shall preclude the jurisdictional utility and the commission from agreeing to a waiver or an extension of the one-hundred-eighty-day period.

(5) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, no change shall be made in any rate or in any term or condition of service pertaining to the service or rates of any such jurisdictional utility, without the consent of the commission. Within thirty days after such changes have been authorized by the commission or become effective as provided in subsection (4) of this section, copies of all tariffs, schedules, and classifications, and all terms or conditions of service, except those determined to be confidential under rules and regulations adopted by the commission, shall be available for public inspection in every office and facility open to the general public of such jurisdictional utility in this state.

(6) Except as to the time limits prescribed in subsection (4) of this section, proceedings under this section shall be conducted in accordance with rules and regulations adopted and promulgated pursuant to section 75-110.

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