S.C. Code Ann. § 58-3-260 – Communications between commission and parties prohibited; exempt communications; disclosure of improper communications; penalties

(A) For purposes of this section:
1. (1) "Proceeding" means a contested case, generic proceeding, or other matter to be adjudicated, decided, or arbitrated by the commission.
2. (2) "Person" means a party to a proceeding pending before the commission, a member of the Office of Regulatory Staff, a representative of a party to a proceeding pending before the commission, individuals, corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, elected officials of state government, and other public and elected officials.
3. (3) "Communication" means the transmitting of information by any mode including, but not limited to, oral, written, or electronic.
4. (4) "Allowable ex parte communication briefing" means any communication that is conducted pursuant to the procedure outlined in subsection (C)(6) of this section.
5. (5) "Communication of supplemental legal citation" means the submission, subsequent to the submission of post-hearing briefs or proposed orders in a proceeding, of statutes, regulations, judicial or administrative decisions that are enacted, promulgated, or determined after the submission of post-hearing briefs or proposed orders.
(B) Except as otherwise provided herein or unless required for the disposition of ex parte matters specifically authorized by law, a commissioner, hearing officer, or commission employee shall not communicate, directly or indirectly, regarding any issue that is an issue in any proceeding or can reasonably be expected to become an issue in any proceeding with any person without notice and opportunity for all parties to participate in the communication, nor shall any person communicate, directly or indirectly, regarding any issue that is an issue in any proceeding or can reasonably be expected to become an issue in any proceeding with any commissioner, hearing officer, or commission employee without notice and opportunity for all parties to participate in the communication.
(C) The following communications are exempt from the prohibitions of subsection (B) of this section:
1. (1) a communication concerning compliance with procedural requirements if the procedural matter is not an area of controversy in a proceeding;
2. (2) statements made by a commission employee who is or may reasonably be expected to be involved in formulating a decision, rule, or order in a proceeding, where the statements are limited to providing publicly available information about pending proceedings;
3. (3) inquiries relating solely to the status of a proceeding, unless the inquiry: (a) states or implies a view as to the merits or outcome of the proceeding; (b) states or implies a preference for a particular party or which states why timing is important to a particular party; (c) indicates a view as to the date by which a proceeding should be resolved; or (d) is otherwise intended to address the merits or outcome or to influence the timing of a proceeding;
4. (4) a communication made by or to commission employees that concerns judicial review of a matter that has been decided by the commission and is no longer within the commission's jurisdiction; however, if the matter is remanded to the commission for further action, the provisions of this section shall apply during the period of the remand;
5. (5) where circumstances require, ex parte communications for scheduling, administrative purposes, or emergencies that do not deal with substantive matters or issues on the merits are authorized provided:
  1. (a) the commissioner, hearing officer, or commission employee reasonably believes that no party will gain a procedural or tactical advantage as a result of the ex parte communication; and
  2. (b) the commissioner, hearing officer, or commission employee makes provision promptly to notify all other parties of the substance of the ex parte communication and, where possible, allows an opportunity to respond;
6. (6)
  1. (a) subject to the provisions of Chapter 4 of Title 30, communications, directly or indirectly, regarding any fact, law, or other matter that is or can reasonably be expected to become an issue in a proceeding for the purposes of an allowable ex parte communication briefing if:
    1. (i) the Executive Director of the Office of Regulatory Staff or his designee attends the briefing and files a written certification, within seventy-two hours of the briefing, attaching copies of all statements and all other matters filed by all persons pursuant to subsubitems (ii), (iii), and (iv) of this subsection, with the chief clerk of the commission that such briefing was conducted in compliance with the provisions of this section and that each party, person, commissioner, or commission employee present has complied with the reporting and certification requirements of subsubitems (ii), (iii), and (iv); and within twenty-four hours of the submission by the executive director, the commission posts on its web site the written certification, statements, and other matters filed by the executive director;
    2. (ii) each party, person, commissioner, and commission employee present files a written, certified statement with the Executive Director of the Office of Regulatory Staff within forty-eight hours of the briefing accurately summarizing the discussions in full and attaching copies of any written materials utilized, referenced, or distributed;
    3. (iii) each party, person, commissioner, and commission employee present, within forty-eight hours of the briefing, files a certification with the Executive Director of the Office of Regulatory Staff that no commitment, predetermination, or prediction of any commissioner's action as to any ultimate or penultimate issue or any commission employee's opinion or recommendation as to any ultimate or penultimate issue in any proceeding was requested by any person or party nor any commitment, predetermination, or prediction was given by any commissioner or commission employee as to any commission action or commission employee opinion or recommendation on any ultimate or penultimate issue;
    4. (iv) each commissioner or commission employee present at the allowable ex parte communication briefing grants to every other party or person requesting an allowable ex parte communication briefing on the same or similar matter that is or can reasonably be expected to become an issue in a proceeding, similar access and a reasonable opportunity to communicate, directly or indirectly, regarding any fact, law, or other matter that is or can reasonably be expected to become an issue in a proceeding under the provisions of subsection (C)(6) of this section and files a written, certified statement with the Executive Director of the Office of Regulatory Staff within forty-eight hours of the briefing stating that the commissioner or commission employee will comply with this provision;
    5. (v) the commission posts on its web site, at least five business days prior to the proposed briefing, a notice of each request for an allowable ex parte communication briefing that includes the date and time of the proposed briefing, the name of the person or party who requested the briefing, the name of each commissioner and commission employee whom the person or party has requested to brief, and the subject matter to be discussed at the briefing;
    6. (vi) the person or party initially seeking the briefing requests the briefing with sufficient notice, as required in subsubitem (v), to allow the initial briefing to be held at least twenty business days prior to the hearing in the proceeding at which the matter that is the subject of the briefing is or can reasonably be expected to become an issue, and the initial briefing must be held at least twenty business days prior to the hearing in the proceeding; and
    7. (vii) any person or party desiring to have a briefing on the same or similar matter as provided for in subsubitem (vi) requests a briefing with sufficient notice, as required in subsubitem (v), to allow the briefing to be held at least ten business days prior to the hearing in the proceeding at which the matter that is the subject of the briefing is or can reasonably be expected to become an issue, and any such briefing must be held at least ten business days prior to the hearing in the proceeding;
  2. (b) any person or party may object to the attendance of the Executive Director of the Office of Regulatory Staff at an allowable ex parte communication briefing on the grounds of bias or a conflict of interest on the part of the executive director. Any such objection must be made in writing and must be filed with the executive director no later than twenty-four hours prior to the scheduled briefing. If the objecting person or party and the executive director agree upon a neutral person, that person shall serve in the executive director's stead and shall comply with the reporting and certification requirements of the executive director contained in subsubitem (i) and the executive director shall comply with the requirements contained in subsubitems (ii) and (iii). The costs of such person's services shall be charged to the party requesting the briefing and may be an allowable cost of the proceedings. If the objecting person or party and the executive director cannot agree upon a neutral person, the objecting person or party shall petition the Administrative Law Judge Division for the appointment of a neutral person to serve in the executive director's stead, and the petition shall be given priority over all other matters within the jurisdiction of the Administrative Law Judge Division. In the petition, the objecting party shall set forth the specific grounds supporting the objecting person's or party's allegation of bias or conflict on the part of the executive director and shall generally describe the matters to be discussed at the briefing. It shall not be sufficient grounds that the executive director is or is likely to be a party to a proceeding. The executive director shall be given an opportunity to respond. Part of the executive director's response shall include recommendations as to the experience required of the person to act in his stead. Upon a showing of actual bias or conflict of interest, the administrative law judge shall designate a person to act in the executive director's stead and that person shall comply with the reporting and certification requirements of the executive director contained in subsubitem (i) and the executive director shall comply with the requirements contained in subsubitems (ii) and (iii). Such person must have the expertise to act in the executive director's stead. The decision of the administrative law judge shall be considered interlocutory and not immediately appealable and may be appealed with the final order of the commission. The costs of such person's services shall be charged to the party requesting the briefing and may be an allowable cost of the proceedings;
  3. (c) should the Executive Director of the Office of Regulatory Staff desire to conduct an allowable ex parte communication briefing, the chief clerk of the commission shall appoint a neutral person who shall serve in the executive director's stead and that person shall comply with the reporting and certification requirements of the Executive Director of the Office of Regulatory Staff contained in subsubitem (i). The Executive Director of the Office of Regulatory Staff shall comply with the requirements contained in subsubitems (ii) and (iii);
  4. (d) nothing in subsection (C)(6) of this section requires any commissioner or commission employee to grant a request for an allowable ex parte communication briefing, except as provided in subsection (C)(6)(a)(iv) of this section;
7. (7) a communication of supplemental legal citation if the party files copies of such documents, without comment or argument, with the chief clerk of the commission and simultaneously provides copies to all parties of record;
8. (8) subject to the provisions of Chapter 4 of Title 30, communications between and among commissioners regarding matters pending before the commission; provided, further, that any commissioner, hearing officer, or commission employee may receive aid from commission employees if the commission employees providing aid do not:
  1. (a) receive ex parte communications of a type that the commissioner, hearing officer, or commission employee would be prohibited from receiving; or
  2. (b) furnish, augment, diminish, or modify the evidence in the record.
(D) If before serving in a proceeding, a commissioner, hearing officer, or commission employee receives an ex parte communication of a type that may not properly be received while serving, the commissioner, hearing officer, or commission employee must disclose the communication in the following manner: a commissioner, hearing officer, or a commission employee who receives an ex parte communication in violation of this section must promptly after receipt of the communication or, in the case of a communication prior to a filing, as soon as it is known to relate to a filing, place on the record of the matter all written and electronic communications received, all written and electronic responses to the communications, and a memorandum stating the substance of all oral communications received, all responses made, and the identity of each person from whom the commissioner, hearing officer, or commission employee, as appropriate, received an ex parte communication and must advise all parties that these matters have been placed on the record. Within ten days after receipt of notice of the ex parte communication, any party who desires to rebut the contents of the communication must request and shall be granted the opportunity to rebut the contents. Parties affected by a violation may agree to a resolution of any claim regarding such violation, including the waiver of a hearing and the waiver of the obligation to report violations under subsection (I) of this section.
(E) Any person who makes an inadvertent ex parte communication must, as soon as it is known to relate to an issue in a proceeding, disclose the communication by placing on the record of the matter the communication made, if written or electronic, or a memorandum stating the substance of an inadvertent oral communication, and the identity of each person to whom the inadvertent ex parte communication was made or given. Within ten days after receipt of notice of the ex parte communication, any party who desires to rebut the contents of the communication must request and shall be granted the opportunity to rebut the contents. If no party rebuts the inadvertence of the ex parte communication within ten days after notice of the ex parte communication, the ex parte communication shall be presumed inadvertent. Parties affected by a violation may agree to a resolution of any claim regarding such violation, and the provisions of subsection (J) of this section shall not apply.
(F) If necessary to eliminate the effect of an ex parte communication received in violation of this section, a commissioner, hearing officer, or commission employee who receives the communication may be disqualified by the commission, and the portions of the record pertaining to the communication may be sealed by protective order.
(G) Nothing in this section alters or amends Section 1-23-320(i).
(H) Nothing in this section prevents a commissioner, hearing officer, or commission employee from attending educational seminars sponsored by state, regional, or national organizations and seminars not affiliated with any utility regulated by the commission; however, the provisions of this section shall apply to any communications that take place outside any formal sessions.
(I) Subject to any privilege under Rule 501 of the South Carolina Rules of Evidence, any commissioner, hearing officer, commission employee, party, or any other person must report any wilful violation of this section on the part of a commissioner, hearing officer, or commission employee to the review committee.
(J) Any commissioner, hearing officer, commission employee, or person who wilfully violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than two hundred fifty dollars or imprisoned for not more than six months. If a commissioner wilfully communicates with any party or person or if any person or party wilfully communicates with a commissioner regarding any fact, law, or other matter that is or can reasonably be expected to become an issue in a proceeding less than ten business days prior to the scheduled hearing on the merits, during the hearing or after the hearing but prior to the issuance of a final order, including an order on rehearing, in a proceeding where such facts, law, or other matter is or can reasonably be expected to become an issue, the commissioner shall be removed from office. If a hearing officer or commission employee wilfully communicates with any party or person or any party or person wilfully communicates with a hearing officer or commission employee regarding any fact, law, or other matter that is or can reasonably be expected to become an issue in a proceeding less than ten days prior to the scheduled hearing on the merits, during the hearing or after the hearing but prior to the issuance of a final order, including an order on rehearing, in a proceeding where such facts, law, or other matter is or can reasonably be expected to become an issue, the hearing officer or commission employee shall be terminated from employment by the commission. For purposes of this section: (1) "wilful" means an act done voluntarily and intentionally with the specific intent to do something the law forbids, or with specific intent to fail to do something the law requires to be done, that is to say with bad purpose either to disobey or disregard the law, and (2) a violation of the provisions of this section must be proved by clear and convincing evidence before a commissioner, hearing officer, or commission employee can be removed from office or terminated from employment.