15 USC 717i

§ 717h

TITLE 15—COMMERCE AND TRADE

within such reasonable time as the Commission
may order, any information with respect thereto
which the Commission may by order require, including copies of maps, contracts, reports of engineers, and other data, records, and papers, and
to grant to all agents of the Commission free access to its property and its accounts, records,
and memoranda when requested so to do. No
member, officer, or employee of the Commission
shall divulge any fact or information which may
come to his knowledge during the course of examination of books, records, data, or accounts,
except insofar as he may be directed by the
Commission or by a court.
(c) Books, accounts, etc., of the person controlling gas company subject to examination
The books, accounts, memoranda, and records
of any person who controls directly or indirectly
a natural-gas company subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission and of any other company controlled by such person, insofar as they
relate to transactions with or the business of
such natural-gas company, shall be subject to
examination on the order of the Commission.
(June 21, 1938, ch. 556, § 8, 52 Stat. 825.)
§ 717h. Rates of depreciation
(a) Depreciation and amortization
The Commission may, after hearing, require
natural-gas companies to carry proper and adequate depreciation and amortization accounts in
accordance with such rules, regulations, and
forms of account as the Commission may prescribe. The Commission may from time to time
ascertain and determine, and by order fix, the
proper and adequate rates of depreciation and
amortization of the several classes of property
of each natural-gas company used or useful in
the production, transportation, or sale of natural gas. Each natural-gas company shall conform its depreciation and amortization accounts
to the rates so ascertained, determined, and
fixed. No natural-gas company subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission shall charge to operating expenses any depreciation or amortization charges on classes of property other than
those prescribed by the Commission, or charge
with respect to any class of property a percentage of depreciation or amortization other than
that prescribed therefor by the Commission. No
such natural-gas company shall in any case include in any form under its operating or other
expenses any depreciation, amortization, or
other charge or expenditure included elsewhere
as a depreciation or amortization charge or
otherwise under its operating or other expenses.
Nothing in this section shall limit the power of
a State commission to determine in the exercise
of its jurisdiction, with respect to any naturalgas company, the percentage rates of depreciation or amortization to be allowed, as to any
class of property of such natural-gas company,
or the composite depreciation or amortization
rate, for the purpose of determining rates or
charges.
(b) Rules
The Commission, before prescribing any rules
or requirements as to accounts, records, or
memoranda, or as to depreciation or amortiza-

Page 1058

tion rates, shall notify each State commission
having jurisdiction with respect to any naturalgas company involved and shall give reasonable
opportunity to each such commission to present
its views and shall receive and consider such
views and recommendations.
(June 21, 1938, ch. 556, § 9, 52 Stat. 826.)
§ 717i. Periodic and special reports
(a) Form and contents of reports
Every natural-gas company shall file with the
Commission such annual and other periodic or
special reports as the Commission may by rules
and regulations or order prescribe as necessary
or appropriate to assist the Commission in the
proper administration of this chapter. The Commission may prescribe the manner and form in
which such reports shall be made, and require
from such natural-gas companies specific answers to all questions upon which the Commission may need information. The Commission
may require that such reports shall include,
among other things, full information as to assets and liabilities, capitalization, investment
and reduction thereof, gross receipts, interest
due and paid, depreciation, amortization, and
other reserves, cost of facilities, cost of maintenance and operation of facilities for the production, transportation, or sale of natural gas, cost
of renewal and replacement of such facilities,
transportation, delivery, use, and sale of natural
gas. The Commission may require any such natural-gas company to make adequate provision
for currently determining such costs and other
facts. Such reports shall be made under oath unless the Commission otherwise specifies.
(b) Unlawful conduct
It shall be unlawful for any natural-gas company willfully to hinder, delay, or obstruct the
making, filing, or keeping of any information,
document, report, memorandum, record, or account required to be made, filed, or kept under
this chapter or any rule, regulation, or order
thereunder.
(June 21, 1938, ch. 556, § 10, 52 Stat. 826.)
§ 717j. State compacts for conservation, transportation, etc., of natural gas
(a) Assembly of pertinent information; report to
Congress
In case two or more States propose to the Congress compacts dealing with the conservation,
production, transportation, or distribution of
natural gas it shall be the duty of the Commission to assemble pertinent information relative
to the matters covered in any such proposed
compact, to make public and to report to the
Congress information so obtained, together with
such recommendations for further legislation as
may appear to be appropriate or necessary to
carry out the purposes of such proposed compact
and to aid in the conservation of natural-gas resources within the United States and in the orderly, equitable, and economic production,
transportation, and distribution of natural gas.
(b) Assembly of information relative to operation
of compact; report to Congress
It shall be the duty of the Commission to assemble and keep current pertinent information