Part III - Procedures in Formal Proceedings
5 VAC 5-20-110. Motions.
Motions may be filed for the same purposes recognized by the courts of record in the Commonwealth. Unless otherwise ordered by the commission, any response to a motion must be filed within 14 days of the filing of the motion, and any reply by the moving party must be filed within ten days of the filing of the response.
5 VAC 5-20-120. Procedure Before Hearing Examiners.
A. Assignment. The commission may, by order, assign a matter pending before it to a hearing examiner. Unless otherwise ordered, the hearing examiner shall conduct all further proceedings in the matter on behalf of the commission in accordance with these rules. In the discharge of his duties, the hearing examiner shall exercise all the adjudicatory powers possessed by the commission including, inter alia, the power to administer oaths; require the attendance of witnesses and parties; require the production of documents; schedule and conduct pre-hearing conferences; admit or exclude evidence; grant or deny continuances; and rule on motions, matters of law, and procedural questions. The hearing examiner shall, upon conclusion of all assigned duties, issue a written final report and recommendation to the commission at the conclusion of the proceedings.
B. Objections and certification of issues. An objection to a ruling by the hearing examiner during a hearing shall be stated with the reasons therefor at the time of the ruling. Any objection to a hearing examiner's ruling may be argued to the commission as part of a response to the hearing examiner's report. A ruling by the hearing examiner that denies further participation by a party in interest or the commission staff in a proceeding that has not been concluded may be immediately appealed to the commission by filing a written motion with the commission for review. Upon the motion of any party or the staff, or upon the hearing examiner's own initiative, the hearing examiner may certify any other material issue to the commission for its consideration and resolution. Pending resolution by the commission of a ruling appealed or certified, the hearing examiner shall retain procedural control of the proceeding.
C. Responses to hearing examiner reports. Unless otherwise ordered by the hearing examiner, responses supporting or objecting to the hearing examiner's final report must be filed within 21 days of the issuance of the report. A reply to a response to the hearing examiner's report may only be filed with leave of the commission. The commission may accept, modify, or reject the hearing examiner's recommendations in any manner consistent with law and the evidence, notwithstanding an absence of objections to the hearing examiner's report.
5 VAC 5-20-130. Amendment of pleadings.
No amendment shall be made to any pleading after it is filed except by leave of the commission, which leave shall be liberally granted in the furtherance of justice. The commission shall make such provision for notice and for opportunity to respond to the amended pleadings as it may deem necessary and proper.
5 VAC 5-20-140. Filing and service.
A pleading or other document shall be considered filed with the commission upon receipt of the original and required copies by the Clerk of the Commission no later than the time established for the closing of business of the clerk's office on the day the item is due. The original and copies shall be stamped by the Clerk to show the time and date of receipt.
Electronic filings may be submitted at any time and will be deemed filed on the date and at the time the electronic document is received by the commission's database; provided, that if a document is received when the clerk's office is not open for public business, the document shall be deemed filed on the next regular business day. A filer will receive an electronic notification identifying the date and time the document was received by the commission's database. An electronic document may be rejected if it is not submitted in compliance with these rules.
When a filing would otherwise be due on a day when the clerk's office is not open for public business during all or part of a business day, the filing will be timely if made on the next regular business day that the office is open to the public. Except as otherwise ordered by the commission, when a period of 15 days or fewer is permitted to make a filing or take other action pursuant to commission rule or order, intervening weekends or holidays shall not be counted in determining the due date.
Service of a pleading, brief, or other document filed with the commission required to be served on the parties to a proceeding or upon the commission staff, shall be effected by delivery of a true copy to the party or staff, or by deposit of a true copy into the United States mail or overnight express mail delivery service properly addressed and postage prepaid, or via hand-delivery, on or before the date of filing. Service on a party may be made by service on the party's counsel. Alternatively, electronic service shall be permitted on parties or staff in cases where all parties and staff have agreed to such service, or where the commission has provided for such service by order. At the foot of a formal pleading, brief, or other document required to be served, the party making service shall append a certificate of counsel of record that copies were mailed or delivered as required. Notices, findings of fact, opinions, decisions, orders, or other documents to be served by the commission may be served by United States mail. However, all writs, processes, and orders of the commission, when acting in conformity with § 12.1-27 of the Code of Virginia, shall be attested by the Clerk of the Commission and served in compliance with § 12.1-19.1 or 12.1-29 of the Code of Virginia.
5 VAC 5-20-150. Copies and format.
Applications, petitions, motions, responsive pleadings, briefs, and other documents filed by parties must be filed in an original and 15 copies unless otherwise directed by the commission. Except as otherwise stated in these rules, submissions filed electronically are exempt from the copy requirement. One copy of each responsive pleading or brief must be served on each party and the commission staff counsel assigned to the matter, or, if no counsel has been assigned, on the general counsel.
Each document must be filed on standard size white opaque paper, 8-1/2 by 11 inches in dimension, must be capable of being reproduced in copies of archival quality, and only one side of the paper may be used. Submissions filed electronically shall be made in portable document format (PDF).
Each document shall be bound or attached on the left side and contain adequate margins. Each page following the first page shall be numbered. If necessary, a document may be filed in consecutively numbered volumes, each of which may not exceed three inches in thickness. Submissions filed electronically may not exceed 100 pages of printed text of 8-1/2 by 11 inches.
Each document containing more than one exhibit should have dividers separating each exhibit and should contain an index. Exhibits such as maps, plats, and photographs not easily reduced to standard size may be filed in a different size, as necessary. Submissions filed electronically that otherwise would incorporate large exhibits impractical for conversion to electronic format shall be identified in the filing and include a statement that the exhibit was filed in hardcopy and is available for viewing at the commission or that a copy may be obtained from the filing party. Such exhibit shall be filed in an original and 15 copies.
All filed documents shall be fully collated and assembled into complete and proper sets ready for distribution and use, without the need for further assembly, sorting, or rearrangement.
The Clerk of the Commission may reject the filing of any document not conforming to the requirements of this rule.
5 VAC 5-20-160. Memorandum of completeness.
With respect to the filing of a rate application or an application seeking actions that by statute or rule must be completed within a certain number of days, a memorandum shall be filed by an appropriate member of the commission staff within ten days of the filing of the application stating whether all necessary requirements imposed by statute or rule for filing the application have been met and all required information has been filed. If the requirements have not been met, the memorandum shall state with specificity the remaining items to be filed. The Clerk of the Commission immediately shall serve a copy of the memorandum on the filing party. The first day of the period within which action on the application must be concluded shall be set forth in the memorandum and shall be the initial date of filing of applications that are found to be complete upon filing. Applications found to require supplementation shall be complete upon the date of filing of the last item identified in the Staff memorandum. Applications shall be deemed complete upon filing if the memorandum of completeness is not timely filed.
5 VAC 5-20-170. Confidential information.
A person who proposes in good faith in a formal proceeding that information to be filed with or delivered to the commission be withheld from public disclosure on the ground that it contains trade secrets, privileged, or confidential commercial or financial information shall file this information under seal with the Clerk of the Commission, or otherwise deliver the information under seal to the commission staff, or both, as may be required. Items filed or delivered under seal shall be securely sealed in an opaque container that is clearly labeled "UNDER SEAL," and, if filed, shall meet the other requirements for filing contained in these rules. An original and 15 copies of all such information shall be filed with the clerk. One additional copy of all such information shall also be delivered under seal to the commission staff counsel assigned to the matter, or, where no counsel has been assigned, to the general counsel who, until ordered otherwise by the commission, shall disclose the information only to the members of the commission staff directly assigned to the matter as necessary in the discharge of their duties. Staff counsel and all members of the commission staff, until otherwise ordered by the commission, shall maintain the information in strict confidence and shall not disclose its contents to members of the public, or to other staff members not assigned to the matter. The commission staff or any party may object to the proposed withholding of the information.
When an application (including supporting documents and prefiled testimony) contains information that the applicant claims to be confidential, the filing shall be made under seal and accompanied by a motion for protective order or other confidential treatment. The provision to a party of information claimed to be trade secrets, privileged, or confidential commercial or financial information shall be governed by a protective order or other individual arrangements for confidential treatment.
On every document filed or delivered under seal, the producing party shall mark each individual page of the document that contains confidential information, and on each such page shall clearly indicate the specific information requested to be treated as confidential by use of highlighting, underscoring, bracketing or other appropriate marking. All remaining materials on each page of the document shall be treated as nonconfidential and available for public use and review. If an entire document is confidential, or if all information provided electronic format under Part IV of these rules is confidential, a marking prominently displayed on the first page of such document or at the beginning of any information provided in electronic format, indicating that the entire document is confidential shall suffice.
Upon challenge, the information shall be treated as confidential pursuant to these rules only where the party requesting confidential treatment can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the commission that the risk of harm of publicly disclosing the information outweighs the presumption in favor of public disclosure. If the commission determines that the information should be withheld from public disclosure, it may nevertheless require the information to be disclosed to parties to a proceeding under appropriate protective order.
Whenever a document is filed with the clerk under seal, an original and one copy of an expurgated or redacted version of the document deemed by the filing party or determined by the commission to be confidential shall be filed with the clerk for use and review by the public. A document containing confidential information shall not be submitted electronically. An expurgated or redacted version of the document may be filed electronically. Documents containing confidential information must be filed in hardcopy and in accordance with all requirements of these rules. Upon a determination by the commission, or a hearing examiner, that all or portions of any materials filed under seal are not entitled to confidential treatment, the filing party shall file one original and one copy of the expurgated or redacted version of the document reflecting the ruling.
When the information at issue is not required to be filed or made a part of the record, a party who wishes to withhold confidential information from filing or production may move the commission for a protective order without filing the materials. In considering such a motion, the commission may require production of the confidential materials for inspection in camera, if necessary.
A party may request additional protection for extraordinarily sensitive information by motion filed pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-110, and filing the information with the Clerk of the Commission under seal and delivering a copy of the information to commission staff counsel under seal as directed above. Whenever such treatment has been requested under Part IV of these rules, the commission may make such orders as necessary to permit parties to challenge the requested additional protection.
The commission, hearing examiners, any party and the commission staff may make use of confidential material in orders, filing pleadings, testimony , or other documents, as directed by order of the commission. When a party or commission staff uses confidential material in a filed pleading, testimony, or other document, the party or commission staff must file both confidential and nonconfidential versions of the pleading, testimony, or other document. Confidential versions of filed pleadings, testimony, or other documents shall clearly indicate the confidential material contained within by highlighting, underscoring, bracketing or other appropriate marking. When filing confidential pleadings, testimony, or other documents, parties must submit the confidential version to the Clerk of the Commission securely sealed in an opaque container that is clearly labeled "UNDER SEAL." Nonconfidential versions of filed pleadings, testimony, or other documents shall expurgate, redact, or otherwise omit all references to confidential material.
The commission may issue such order as it deems necessary to prevent the use of confidentiality claims for the purpose of delay or obstruction of the proceeding.
A person who proposes in good faith that information to be delivered to the commission staff outside of a formal proceeding be withheld from public disclosure on the ground that it contains trade secrets, privileged, or confidential commercial or financial information may deliver the information under seal to the commission staff, subject to the same protections afforded confidential information in formal proceedings.
5 VAC 5-20-180. Official transcript of hearing.
The official transcript of a hearing before the commission or a hearing examiner shall be that prepared by the court reporters retained by the commission and certified by the court reporter as a true and correct transcript of the proceeding. Transcripts of proceedings shall not be prepared except in cases assigned to a hearing examiner, when directed by the commission, or when requested by a party desiring to purchase a copy. Parties desiring to purchase copies of the transcript shall make arrangement for purchase with the court reporter. When a transcript is prepared, a copy thereof shall be made available for public inspection in the clerk's office. If the transcript includes confidential information, an expurgated or redacted version of the transcript shall be made available for public inspection in the clerk's office. Only the parties who have executed an agreement to adhere to a protective order or other arrangement for access to confidential treatment in such proceeding and the commission staff shall be entitled to access to an unexpurgated or unredacted version of the transcript. By agreement of the parties, or as the commission may by order provide, corrections may be made to the transcript.
5 VAC 5-20-190. Rules of evidence.
In proceedings under 5 VAC 5-20-90, and all other proceedings in which the commission shall be called upon to decide or render judgment only in its capacity as a court of record, the common law and statutory rules of evidence shall be as observed and administered by the courts of record of the Commonwealth. In other proceedings, evidentiary rules shall not be unreasonably used to prevent the receipt of evidence having substantial probative effect.
5 VAC 5-20-200. Briefs.
Written briefs may be authorized at the discretion of the commission, except in proceedings under 5 VAC 5-20-100 A, where briefs may be filed by right. The time for filing briefs and reply briefs, if authorized, shall be set at the time they are authorized. The commission may limit the length of a brief. The commission may by order provide for the electronic filing or service of briefs.
5 VAC 5-20-210. Oral argument.
The commission may authorize oral argument, limited as the commission may direct, on any pertinent matter at any time during the course of the proceeding.
5 VAC 5-20-220. Petition for rehearing or reconsideration.
Final judgments, orders, and decrees of the commission, except judgments prescribed by § 12.1-36 of the Code of Virginia, and except as provided in §§ 13.1-614 and 13.1-813 of the Code of Virginia, shall remain under the control of the commission and subject to modification or vacation for 21 days after the date of entry. Except for good cause shown, a petition for rehearing or reconsideration must be filed not later than 20 days after the date of entry of the judgment, order, or decree. The filing of a petition will not suspend the execution of the judgment, order, or decree, nor extend the time for taking an appeal, unless the commission, within the 21 day period following entry of the final judgment, order or decree, shall provide for a suspension in an order or decree granting the petition. A petition for rehearing or reconsideration must be served on all parties and delivered to commission staff counsel on or before the day on which it is filed. The commission will not entertain responses to, or requests for oral argument on, a petition. An order granting a rehearing or reconsideration will be served on all parties and commission staff counsel by the Clerk of the Commission.
5 VAC 5-20-230. Extension of time.
The commission may, at its discretion, grant a continuance, postponement, or extension of time for the filing of a document or the taking of an action required or permitted by these rules, except for petitions for rehearing or reconsideration filed pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-220. Except for good cause shown, motions for extensions shall be made in writing, served on all parties and commission staff counsel, and filed with the commission at least three days prior to the date the action sought to be extended is due.
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