388/Maryland Manual

tion. The law applies only to representation in or
respect to the courts of Maryland. The Public
Defender must submit a report annually to the
Board of Trustees, the Governor, and General
Assembly (Code 1957, Art. 27A).

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

Chairperson: Frank 0. Heintz, 1988

Lilo K. Schifter, 1984; Wayne B. Hamilton, 1985;
William A. Badger, 1986; Haskell N. Arnold,
1987.

James A. Pine, General Counsel
Ronald E. Hawkins, Executive Secretary
Gloria M. Jimenez, Executive Director
Ronald A. Decker, Staff Counsel
John W. Dorsey, Chief Engineer
Kirk J. Emge, Chief Hearing Examiner

Thomas L. Lovelace, Sr., Director of Transporta-
tion

Vacancy, Chief Auditor

Roland W. Wentworth, Director, Rate Research
and Economics

American Building
231 E. Baltimore Street
Baltimore 21202 Telephone: 659-6000

The Public Service Commission of Maryland
was established by Chapter 180, Acts of 1910.

The Public Service Commission has jurisdiction
over common carriers, including steam and elec-
tric railroads, sleeping car companies, bus lines,
express companies, steamboat companies, power
boats, ferry companies, carriers by aircraft, toll
bridges, and all carriers, generally, engaged in the
public transportation of passengers or freight
within the State of Maryland, except those carri-
ers of passengers that come within the jurisdic-
tion of the Washington Metropolitan Area Tran-
sit Commission (Chapter 613, Acts of 1959). The
Public Service Commission also has jurisdiction
over all taxicabs operating in Baltimore City,
Baltimore County, Cumberland, and Hagerstown.
In addition. Commission licenses the taxicab driv-
ers in Baltimore City.

The Commission exercises jurisdiction over all
gas, electric, telephone, telegraph, water, sewage
disposal, and steam heating companies operating
within the State. It has the power to fix both
minimum and maximum rates and to suspend

schedules pending the determination of the rea-
sonableness of the proposed rates. Public utilities
may not abandon or discontinue the exercise of
any franchise without permission of the Commis-
sion. The Commission tests all gas and electric
meters before installation; it also tests previously
installed meters at the request of the consumer. It
maintains a laboratory in which it makes daily
tests of gas furnished in Baltimore City. It also
makes regular and frequent tests of the gas and
electricity furnished in other parts of the State. It
hears matters relative to 1) rate adjustments; 2)
applications to exercise franchise; 3) approval of
issuance of securities; 4) promulgation of new
rules and regulations; 5) quality of utility and
common carrier service; and 6) railroad safety.
The Commission has the authority to issue a Cer-
tificate of Public Convenience and Necessity in
connection with an electric utility's application to
construct a new generating station for transmis-
sion lines of a certain capacity (Code 1957, Art.
78, secs. 1 to 107).

In 1976, the General Assembly made extensive
changes to the organization of the Commission
(Chapter 756, Acts of 1976). One of these chang-
es was the activation in late February 1978 of the
Consumer Assistance Section. By December 1978,
the Section had responded to 2,110 formal and
informal complaints.

The Commission is authorized to make joint
investigations, hold joint hearings, and issue joint
or other concurrent orders in conjunction with
any official board or commission of any state or
the federal government under agreements and
compacts between states, under the concurrrent
powers of states to regulate interstate commerce
as an agency of the federal government, or other-
wise (Code 1957, Art. 78, sec. 59). The Public
Service Commission is also represented on
jointboards created by the Interstate Commerce
Commission under the federal Motor Carriers
Act to hear and pass upon applications and pro-
ceedings pertaining to interstate motor carrier op-
eration conducted in or through not more than
three states.

By Chapter 234, Acts of 1973, the General As-
sembly provided for a new method of financing
the operations of the Public Service Commission.
The filing fee of .0009 percent imposed on gross
intrastate utility operating revenues was repealed.
In its place utilities and common carriers under
the jurisdiction of the Commission are assessed a
proportionate share of the Commission's direct
and indirect expenses based on their proportion
of jurisdictional revenues.