37-1-103. Assessment of interstate public utilities generally.

(a) The public service commission of Wyoming is hereby authorized and empowered to collect for the actual costs incurred by the commission for necessary and reasonable services, investigations and other actions concerning the construction, operation, maintenance, safety and environment of interstate utilities and their facilities within Wyoming. This act [section] shall not apply to motor carriers or any services, investigations or other actions authorized by the statutes for intrastate utilities.

(b) The billing by the commission shall be directed to the involved interstate utility or utilities at intervals of no less than thirty (30) days as determined by the commission and shall detail and show the basis for the charges and all direct and allocated charges. Payment shall be made by the interstate public utility no later than thirty (30) days after receipt of the billing. Only those charges which are necessary and reasonable need be paid and if charges not necessary and reasonable are paid under protest, they may be recovered in a court of competent jurisdiction in any action commenced against the public service commission of Wyoming within thirty (30) days after payment under protest and any amount recovered shall be paid out of the public service commission account.

(c) The funds collected shall be immediately remitted to the state treasurer for deposit in the public service commission account. The commission may immediately upon deposit expend such monies for payment of its costs incurred concerning interstate utilities, subject to the warrant of the state auditor, upon submission of properly executed vouchers authorized by the commission in the same manner as other funds are disbursed subject to other provisions of law.

(d) Any interstate utility which violates or fails to comply with any provision of this act shall be subject to a penalty of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) for each and every offense.