Regulation of electricity; examination fees; exemption of public utilities

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The Council of the District of Columbia shall have power to make from time to time such rules and regulations respecting the production, use and control of electricity for light, heat, and power purposes in the District of Columbia not inconsistent with existing laws, as in its judgment will afford safety and convenience to the public; and the Council is further authorized and empowered to prescribe such fees for the examination of the electrical wiring, machinery, and appliances in buildings as it may deem proper, to be paid to the Director of the Department of Finance and Revenue of the District of Columbia, and any such rules and regulations shall after promulgation have the effect and force of law: Provided, that nothing in §§ 2-131 to 2-133 contained shall apply to any electric company or electricity supplier facility or equipment engaged in the production, transmission, or distribution of electric current for public service or use.

(Apr. 26, 1904, 33 Stat. 306, ch. 1602, § 1; May 9, 2000, D.C. Law 13-107, § 301, 47 DCR 1091.)

Prior Codifications

1981 Ed., § 1-1019.

1973 Ed., § 1-719.

Section References

This section is referenced in § 2-132.

Effect of Amendments

D.C. Law 13-107 substituted “any electric company or electricity supplier facility or equipment engaged in the production, transmission, or distribution” for “the power plants or buildings of incorporated companies engaged in the production and distribution”.

References in Text

Pursuant to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer’s “Notice of Public Interest” published in the April 18, 1997, issue of the District of Columbia Register ( 44 DCR 2345) the Office of Tax and Revenue assumed all of the duties and functions previously performed by the Department of Finance and Revenue, as set forth in Commissioner’s Order 69-96, dated March 7, 1969. This action was made effective January 22, 1997, nunc pro tunc.

Editor's Notes

Office of Collector of Taxes abolished: The Office of the Collector of Taxes was abolished and the functions thereof transferred to the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia by Reorganization Plan No. 5 of 1952. All functions of the Office of the Collector of Taxes including the functions of all officers, employees and subordinate agencies were transferred to the Director, Department of General Administration by Reorganization Order No. 1, dated August 28, 1952. Reorganization Order No. 20, dated November 10, 1952, transferred the functions of the Collector of Taxes to the Finance Office. The same Order provided for the Office of the Collector of Taxes headed by a Collector in the Finance Office, and abolished the previously existing Office of the Collector of Taxes. Reorganization Order No. 20 was superseded and replaced by Organization Order No. 121, dated December 12, 1957, which provided that the Finance Office (consisting of the Office of the Finance Officer, Property Tax Division, Revenue Division, Treasury Division, Accounting Division, and Data Processing Division) would continue under the direction and control of the Director of General Administration, and that the Treasury Division would perform the function of collecting revenues of the District of Columbia and depositing the same with the Treasurer of the United States. Organization Order No. 121 was revoked by Organization Order No. 3, dated December 13, 1967, Part IVC of which prescribed the functions of the Finance Office within a newly established Department of General Administration. The executive functions of the Board of Commissioners were transferred to the Commissioner of the District of Columbia by § 401 of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967. Functions of the Finance Office as stated in Part IVC of Organization Order No. 3 were transferred to the Director of the Department of Finance and Revenue by Commissioner’s Order No. 69-96, dated March 7, 1969.

Change in Government

This section originated at a time when local government powers were delegated to a Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia (see Acts Relating to the Establishment of the District of Columbia and its Various Forms of Governmental Organization in Volume 1). Section 402(25) of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967 (see Reorganization Plans in Volume 1) transferred all of the functions of the Board of Commissioners under this section to the District of Columbia Council, subject to the right of the Commissioner as provided in § 406 of the Plan. The District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act, 87 Stat. 818, § 711 ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.11), abolished the District of Columbia Council and the Office of Commissioner of the District of Columbia. These branches of government were replaced by the Council of the District of Columbia and the Office of Mayor of the District of Columbia, respectively. Accordingly, and also pursuant to § 714(a) of such Act ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.14(a)), appropriate changes in terminology were made in this section.


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