476.18 - IMPERMISSIBLE CHARGES.

        476.18  IMPERMISSIBLE CHARGES.         1.  Public utilities subject to rate regulation are prohibited      from including either directly or indirectly in their charges or      rates to customers the costs of lobbying.         2.  Legal costs and attorney fees incurred by a public utility      subject to rate regulation in an appeal in state or federal court      involving the validity of any action of the board shall not be      included either directly or indirectly in the public utility's      charges or rates to customers except to the extent that recovery of      legal costs and attorney fees is allowed by the board.  The board      shall allow a public utility to recover reasonable legal costs and      attorney fees incurred in the appeal.  The board may consider the      degree of success of the legal arguments of the public utility in      determining the reasonable legal costs and attorney fees to be      allowed.         3.  Public utilities subject to rate regulation are prohibited      from including either directly or indirectly in their charges or      rates to customers the costs of advertising other than advertising      which is required by the board or by other state or federal      regulation.  However, this subsection does not apply to a utility's      advertising which is deemed by the board to be necessary for the      utility's customers and which is approved by the board.         Every ad which is published, broadcast, or otherwise displayed or      disseminated to the public by a public utility which is to be charged      to the customers of the public utility and which is not required by      the board or by other state or federal regulation shall include a      statement in the ad that the costs of the ad are being charged to the      customers of the public utility.  This paragraph does not apply to a      utility's product or service that is or becomes subject to      competition as determined by the board.         4.  This section does not apply to a rural electric cooperative.      
         Section History: Recent Form
         83 Acts, ch 127, § 30; 84 Acts, ch 1225, § 1