Section 195.03. Office; powers and duties, general enumeration.

 

(1)   Practice rules. The office may take testimony and administer oaths and may promulgate rules to govern its proceedings and to regulate the mode and manner of all hearings. All hearings shall be open to the public.

(2)   Office initiative. In any matter within its jurisdiction under ch. 192 or this chapter, the office may initiate, investigate and order a hearing at its discretion upon such notice as it considers proper.

(7)   Study railroad and water carrier business, demand information. The office may inquire into the management of the business of all railroads and water carriers, and shall keep itself informed as to the manner in which the same is conducted, and may obtain from any railroad or water carrier all necessary information to enable the office to perform the duties and carry out the objects for which it is responsible.

(8)   Questionnaires, answers compulsory. The office shall prepare forms for the purpose of obtaining the information which it may deem necessary or useful to the proper exercise of its functions, which shall conform as nearly as practicable to the forms prescribed by the federal railroad administration, federal surface transportation board, or other applicable federal agency or authority, and shall furnish the forms to railroads and water carriers, and every railroad and water carrier receiving the forms shall cause the forms to be properly completed and verified under oath by its proper officer and returned to the office within the time fixed by the office.

(9)   Examine books and files of railroads and water carriers. The commissioner of railroads or any person employed by the office for that purpose shall, upon demand, have the right to inspect the books and papers of any railroad or water carrier and to examine under oath any officer, agent or employee of such railroad or water carrier in relation to its business and affairs; provided that any person other that the commissioner of railroads who makes such demand shall produce his or her authority under the hand and seal of the office.

(10)   Production of records and files kept out of state. The office may, by an order or subpoena to be served in the manner that a circuit court summons is served, require the production within this state, at such time and place as it may designate, of any books, papers or accounts kept by any railroad or water carrier without the state, or verified copies in lieu thereof, if the office shall so order.

(11)   Uniform system of accounting. The office may prescribe a uniform system of keeping and rendering accounts of all railroad and water carrier business transacted in this state, and the time within which railroads and water carriers shall adopt such system; provided that all forms of accounts which may be prescribed by the office shall conform to any applicable requirement under 49 USC 11141 to 11164 or 49 CFR 1201 and, as nearly as practicable, to similar forms prescribed by federal authority.

(12)   Time for filing water carrier rate tariffs. The office shall fix the time for filing water carrier schedules relative to the transportation of passengers and property and of any service in connection therewith.

(13)   Schedule forms. The office may prescribe the forms for water carrier schedules.

(14)   Passes to shippers. The office may prescribe regulations for free transportation of attendants upon shipments of livestock.

(15)   Elevators and warehouses. The office may prescribe rules and regulations covering the charges and manner of conducting the business of public elevators and warehouses upon railroad ground.

(16)   Car service. The office may make reasonable regulations for furnishing cars to shippers, and for moving, loading and unloading cars and for weighing cars and freight, and to test railroad weights and scales used in weighing freight or cars.

(17)   Private tracks. The office shall have control of private railroad tracks insofar as the same are used by common carriers for the transportation of freight, in all respects the same as though such tracks were part of a public railroad.

(18)   Safety devices. The office may make reasonable rules, regulations, specifications and standards for the installation, operation and maintenance of all safety devices and measures.

(19)   Railroad and water carrier structures. The office may order the repair or reconstruction of any inadequate or unsafe railroad track or water carrier structure.

(25)   Distribution of orders. The office shall upon application furnish certified copies, under its seal, of any order made by it, which shall be prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein.

(28)   Title. The office may sue and be sued in that name, and may confer with or participate in any proceedings before any regulatory agency of any other state or of the federal government.

(29)   Train privileges. The employees authorized by the office to perform railroad inspection duties may, in the performance of such duties, ride in and upon any engine, car or train of any class, of any railroad, upon payment of the lawful passenger fare, but such railroad shall not thereby be deemed to become a common carrier of passengers other than on passenger cars.

(30)   Hearings.

(a) The office shall give testimony at the hearing under s. 350.138 (4) (b) , or shall submit a written report for introduction into the hearing record, on the factors stated in s. 350.138 (4) (d) 1. , 2. , 3. , and 4.

(b) The office shall give the department of natural resources the office's opinion on whether the snowmobile crossing should be closed or removed in testimony at the hearing under s. 350.1395 (2) (b) 2. or in a written report for introduction into the hearing record.

1971 c. 215 , 306 ; 1977 c. 29 ss. 1325 , 1328 to 1333 , 1654 (9) (e) ; 1979 c. 34 ; 1981 c. 347 ss. 70 , 80 (1) ; 1981 c. 391 ; 1993 a. 16 , 123 , 490 ; 2001 a. 14 , 107 ; 2005 a. 179 .