475A.1 Consumer advocate. 1. Appointment. The attorney general shall appoint a competent attorney to the office of consumer advocate, subject to confirmation by the senate, in accordance with section 2.32. The consumer advocate is the chief administrator of the consumer advocate division of the department of justice. The advocate’s term of office is for four […]
475A.2 Duties. The consumer advocate shall: 1. Investigate the legality of all rates, charges, rules, regulations, and practices of all persons under the jurisdiction of the utilities board, and institute civil proceedings before the board or any court to correct any illegality on the part of any such person. In any such investigation, the person […]
475A.3 Office — employees — expenses. 1. Office. The office of consumer advocate shall be a separate division of the department of justice and located at the same location as the utilities division of the department of commerce. Administrative support services may be provided to the consumer advocate division by the department of commerce. 2. […]
475A.4 Utilities division records. The consumer advocate has free access to all the files, records, and documents in the office of the utilities division except: 1. Personal information in confidential personnel records of the utilities division. 2. Records which represent and constitute the work product of the general counsel of the utilities board, and records […]
475A.5 Service. The consumer advocate is entitled to service of all documents required by statute or rule to be served on parties in proceedings before the utilities board and all notices, petitions, applications, complaints, answers, motions, and other pleadings filed pursuant to statute or rule with the board. 83 Acts, ch 127, §12
475A.6 Certification of expenses to utilities division. 1. a. The consumer advocate shall determine the advocate’s expenses, including a reasonable allocation of general office expenses, directly attributable to the performance of the advocate’s duties involving specific persons subject to direct assessment, and shall certify the expenses to the utilities division not less than quarterly. The […]
475A.7 Consumer advisory panel. The attorney general shall appoint five members and the governor shall appoint four members to a consumer advisory panel to meet at the request of the consumer advocate for consultation regarding public utility regulation. A member shall be appointed from each congressional district with the appointee residing within the congressional district […]
