III. General Provisions

As currently written, Rule 2.5(a) requires parties to provide an original and seven copies of a document for filing until a service list is established in a proceeding, at which time the original and only four copies are required. For practical purposes, once an administrative law judge is assigned to a proceeding, the Commission requires only the original and four copies of a filed document. We propose to amend Rule 2.5(a) accordingly, to eliminate the waste of paper and the unnecessary burden on parties.

As currently written, Rule 2.7(b) provides that, generally, prepared testimony is not to be filed with the Docket Office. Nevertheless, practitioners often attempt to file prepared testimony that is prepared in support of, and issued concurrently with, a filed document. We propose to amend Rule 2.7(b) to emphasize that prepared testimony is not to be filed, and to set forth its appropriate treatment, that is, that it shall be served on parties and on the Administrative Law Judge or, if none is yet assigned, on the Chief Administrative Law Judge.

We propose to amend Rule 3.4 to reflect the fact that the Daily Calendar notices the submission of proceedings and the mailing of recommended decisions.