Title 34, Public Utilities.

The Commission shall have power, after hearing and notice by order in writing, to require and compel every public utility to comply with the provisions of this subtitle, and with other laws of the United States applicable, and any municipal ordinance or regulation relating to sai…

The Commission shall ascertain, as soon and as nearly as practicable, the amount of money expended in the construction and equipment of every public utility, including the amount of money expended to procure any right-of-way; also the amount of money it would require to secure th…

The Commission shall value the property of every public utility within the District of Columbia actually used and useful for the convenience of the public at the fair value thereof at the time of said valuation.

Before final determination of such value the Commission shall, after notice of not less than 30 days to the public utility, hold a public hearing as to such valuation in the manner hereinafter provided for a hearing, which provisions, so far as applicable, shall apply to such hea…

The Commission may at any time, on its own initiative, make a revaluation of the property of any public utility.

Every public utility shall keep and render to the Commission, in the manner and form prescribed by the Commission, uniform accounts of all business transacted. Every public utility engaged directly or indirectly in any other business than that of the conduct of a street railway, …

The Commission shall prescribe the forms of all books, accounts, papers, and records required to be kept, and every public utility is required to keep and render its books, accounts, papers, and records accurately and faithfully in the manner and form prescribed by the Commission…

The Commission shall cause to be prepared suitable blanks for carrying out the purposes of this subtitle, and shall when necessary furnish such blanks to each public utility.

Each public utility shall have an office within the District of Columbia in which it shall keep all such books, accounts, papers, and records as shall be required by the Commission to be kept within the District of Columbia. No books, accounts, papers, or records required by the …

The accounts shall be closed annually on the 31st day of December, and a balance sheet of that date promptly taken therefrom. On or before the 1st day of February following such balance sheet, together with such other information as the Commission shall prescribe, verified by an …

The Commission shall provide for the examination and audit of all accounts, and all items shall be allocated to the accounts in the manner prescribed by the Commission. The agents, accountants, or examiners employed by the Commission shall have authority, under the direction of t…

Every public utility shall carry a proper and adequate depreciation account. The Commission shall ascertain and determine what are the proper and adequate rates of depreciation of the several classes of property of each public utility. These rates shall be such as will provide th…

The Commission shall keep itself informed of all new construction, extensions, and additions to the property of all public utilities, and shall prescribe the necessary forms, regulations, and instructions to the officers and employees of all public utilities for the keeping of co…

Nothing in this subtitle shall be taken to prohibit a public utility, with the consent of the Commission, from providing a sliding scale of rates and dividends according to what is commonly known as the Boston sliding scale, or other financial device that may be practicable and a…

(a) Each public utility shall furnish to the Commission in such form and at such times as the Commission shall require, such accounts, reports, and information as shall show in itemized detail; depreciation; salaries and wages; legal expenses; taxes and rentals; quantity and valu…

The Commission shall publish annual reports showing its proceedings relating to all the public utilities of each kind in the District of Columbia, and such other occasional reports as it may deem advisable. The Commission shall also publish in its annual reports the value of all …

The Commission shall ascertain and fix adequate and serviceable standards for the measurement of quality, pressure, initial voltage, or other condition pertaining to the supply of the product or service rendered by any public utility, and prescribe reasonable regulations for exam…

The Commission shall provide for the examination and testing of any and all appliances used for the measuring of any product or service of a public utility. Any consumer or user may have any such appliance tested upon payment of the fees fixed by the Commission. The Commission sh…

The Commission may purchase such materials, apparatus, and standard measuring instruments for such examination and tests as it may deem necessary. The Commission, its agents, experts, or examiners, shall have power to enter upon any premises occupied by any public utility for the…

Every public utility shall file with the Commission, within a time to be fixed by the Commission, 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…

Every public utility shall file with and as a part of such schedule all rules and regulations that in any manner affect the rates charged or to be charged for any service.

A copy of so much of said schedules as the Commission shall deem necessary for the use of the public shall be printed in plain type and kept on file in every station and office of such public utility where payments are made by the consumers or users, open to the public, in such f…

Where a schedule of joint rates or charges is, or may be, in force between 2 or more public utilities, such schedule shall in like manner be printed and filed with the Commission, and so much thereof as the Commission shall deem necessary for the use of the public shall be filed …

No change shall be made in any schedule, including schedules of joint rates, except upon 10 days notice to the Commission, and all such changes shall be plainly indicated upon existing schedules, or by filing new schedules in lieu thereof 10 days prior to the time the same are to…

(a) Copies of all new schedules shall be filed, as hereinbefore provided, in every station and office of such public utility where payments are made by consumers or users 10 days prior to the time the same are to take effect, unless the Commission shall prescribe a less time. (b)…

It shall be unlawful for any public utility to charge, demand, collect, or receive a greater or less compensation for any service performed by it within the District of Columbia, or for any service in connection therewith, than is specified in such printed schedules, including sc…

The Commission may prescribe such changes in the form in which the schedules are issued by any public utility as may be found to be expedient.

A public utility shall provide to the organizational unit of the District government, or any successor organizational unit, that is responsible for administering or supervising the administration of the District’s State Plan under title IV, part D of the Social Security Act, appr…

This subchapter may be cited as the Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment Amendment Act of 2015.

For the purposes of this subchapter, the term: (1) Repealed. (2) “Affiliate” means, when used in relation to any person, another person who owns or controls, or is owned or controlled by, or is under common ownership or control with such person. (3) “Basic service” means the lowe…

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this subchapter, this subchapter shall apply to an open video system to the extent permitted by federal law. In applying the provisions of this subchapter to an open video system, the term “cable system” shall be construed to include an open vi…

(a) There is established within the executive branch, as a subordinate agency, the Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment. The Office shall be responsible for: (1) Oversight of cable television services, including: (A) Regulating cable service, cable service p…

In addition to the general authority of the Office set forth in § 34-1252.01(a), the Office shall have the powers and responsibilities to: (1) Promulgate rules or regulations to administer or enforce this chapter; (2) Issue guidelines, instructions, application forms, and other d…

(a) There is hereby established within the General Fund of the District, a Cable Television Special Account, to which shall be credited all revenues owed and accruing to the District from the establishment, regulation, and operation of a cable system. The Cable Television Special…

(a)(1) There shall be established, pursuant to the requirements of this chapter and in accordance with Chapters 1, 2, and 4 of Title 29, a nonprofit Public Access Corporation (“Corporation”) in the District for the purpose of facilitating and governing nondiscriminatory use by th…

(a) The Public Service Commission shall regulate the rates, terms, and conditions for cable operators’ use of existing utility company rights-of-way located within the District, including the use of existing utility poles and underground conduits in accordance with federal law an…

(a) The Council may grant one or more franchises to provide cable service over, on, under, or within the public rights-of-way. (b) No person may construct or operate a cable system over, on, under, or within a public right-of-way without first obtaining a franchise under this cha…

(a) An application for the grant of an initial franchise may be filed pursuant to a request for proposals issued by the District or on an unsolicited basis. (b) The application shall be filed with the Office and shall be on a form prescribed by the Mayor. The application shall co…

(a) Within 45 days after receiving an application under § 34-1254.02, the Office shall certify the application as complete or shall transmit to the applicant a description of missing information and the time by which the missing information must be provided. (b) Upon certifying t…

(a) If the Office determines under § 34-1254.03 that an applicant has the ability and commitment to adequately provide cable service in the District and to meet the cable-related needs and interests of the District and of District residents, the Office shall commence the negotiat…

(a) The proposed franchise agreement shall contain the following provisions: (1) The applicant shall construct, operate, and maintain a state-of-the-art cable system. (2) The capacity of the cable system shall be at least 750 MHz, with both downstream and upstream capacity. (3) T…

(a) If the Office and the applicant agree on the terms of a proposed franchise agreement under § 34-1254.05, the Office shall submit to the Mayor and the Council a Recommendation for the Approval of a Franchise Application consisting of the franchise application, the proposed fra…

(a) The Office may commence a franchise renewal proceeding under section 626(a) of the federal cable act (47 U.S.C. § 546(a)). (b)(1) Upon commencement of a franchise renewal proceeding under this section, the Office shall commence the following: (A) A formal assessment of commun…

(a) If the Office does not commence a renewal proceeding under § 34-1254.07, the Office shall commence a franchise review proceeding no later than 24 months before the expiration of the franchise. (b) The Office shall commence the proceeding by having published in the District of…

(a) Except for conveyances of real or personal property in the ordinary course of the operation of a cable system, neither a franchise, nor a cable operator, nor any rights or obligations of a cable operator in a cable system or pursuant to a franchise agreement, nor a cable syst…

(a) At least 180 days before the proposed consummation of a transfer, a petition for franchise transfer shall be filed with the Office. The petition shall include: (1) A completed FCC Form 394, or any successor thereto; (2) All information required to be filed with the FCC and th…