§ 39-3-10. Filing and availability of rate schedules. (a) Every public utility shall file with the public utilities administrator within a time to be fixed by the administrator, schedules which shall be open to public inspection, showing all rates, tolls, and charges which it has established and which are in force at the time for any service performed by it within the state, or for any service in connection therewith or performed by any public utility controlled or operated by it. A copy of so much of the schedules as the administrator shall deem necessary for the use of the public shall be printed in plain type, or typewritten, and kept on file in every station or office of the public utility where payments are made by the consumers or users, open to the public in such form and place as to be readily accessible and conveniently inspected, and as the administrator may order. The administrator may determine and prescribe the form in which the schedules, required by this section to be kept open to the public inspection, shall be prepared and arranged, provided, that with respect to public utilities subject to the federal Interstate Commerce Act, 49 U.S.C. § 501 et seq., so-called, the form of the schedules shall be that as from time to time prescribed by the interstate commerce commission.

(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing paragraph, subsection (a) herein, a public utility may post on its website the rates, tolls and charges of any retail telecommunications service performed by it within the state for any business customers. The foregoing paragraph, subsection (a) herein, shall not apply to any service so posted, and such public utility shall not be required to file with the public utilities administrator or publish any schedule or tariff for such service. Upon written notice to the public utilities administrator, the public utility may withdraw any schedule or tariff previously filed with the administrator for any service so posted.

(c) Nothing in subsection (b) herein or in subdivision 39-2-5(12) shall derogate from the statutory authority of the commission or of the division, including, but not limited to, the authority to protect ratepayers from unreasonable rates. Nor shall anything in subsection (b) herein or in subdivision 39-2-5(12) derogate from the common law or statutory authority of the attorney general, including, but not limited to, the authority to enforce consumer protection or unfair or deceptive trade practice statutes and regulations.

History of Section. (P.L. 1912, ch. 795, § 48; P.L. 1918, ch. 1651, § 1; G.L. 1923, ch. 253, § 48; G.L. 1938, ch. 122, § 45; P.L. 1949, ch. 2172, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 39-3-10; P.L. 2011, ch. 132, § 2; P.L. 2011, ch. 148, § 2.)