
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 47USC208]

 
          TITLE 47--TELEGRAPHS, TELEPHONES, AND RADIOTELEGRAPHS
 
                 CHAPTER 5--WIRE OR RADIO COMMUNICATION
 
                     SUBCHAPTER II--COMMON CARRIERS
 
                    Part I--Common Carrier Regulation
 
Sec. 208. Complaints to Commission; investigations; duration of 
        investigation; appeal of order concluding investigation
        
    (a) Any person, any body politic, or municipal organization, or 
State commission, complaining of anything done or omitted to be done by 
any common carrier subject to this chapter, in contravention of the 
provisions thereof, may apply to said Commission by petition which shall 
briefly state the facts, whereupon a statement of the complaint thus 
made shall be forwarded by the Commission to such common carrier, who 
shall be called upon to satisfy the complaint or to answer the same in 
writing within a reasonable time to be specified by the Commission. If 
such common carrier within the time specified shall make reparation for 
the injury alleged to have been caused, the common carrier shall be 
relieved of liability to the complainant only for the particular 
violation of law thus complained of. If such carrier or carriers shall 
not satisfy the complaint within the time specified or there shall 
appear to be any reasonable ground for investigating said complaint, it 
shall be the duty of the Commission to investigate the matters 
complained of in such manner and by such means as it shall deem proper. 
No complaint shall at any time be dismissed because of the absence of 
direct damage to the complaint.
    (b)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Commission shall, 
with respect to any investigation under this section of the lawfulness 
of a charge, classification, regulation, or practice, issue an order 
concluding such investigation within 5 months after the date on which 
the complaint was filed.
    (2) The Commission shall, with respect to any such investigation 
initiated prior to November 3, 1988, issue an order concluding the 
investigation not later than 12 months after November 3, 1988.
    (3) Any order concluding an investigation under paragraph (1) or (2) 
shall be a final order and may be appealed under section 402(a) of this 
title.

(June 19, 1934, ch. 652, title II, Sec. 208, 48 Stat. 1073; Pub. L. 100-
594, Sec. 8(c), Nov. 3, 1988, 102 Stat. 3023; Pub. L. 104-104, title IV, 
Sec. 402(b)(1)(B), Feb. 8, 1996, 110 Stat. 129.)


                               Amendments

    1996--Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 104-104 substituted ``such 
investigation within 5 months'' for ``such investigation within 12 
months'' and struck out before period at end ``, or within 15 months 
after such date if the investigation raises questions of fact of such 
extraordinary complexity that the questions cannot be resolved within 12 
months''.
    1988--Pub. L. 100-594 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) 
and added subsec. (b).


                    Effective Date of 1996 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 104-104 applicable with respect to any charge, 
classification, regulation, or practice filed on or after one year after 
Feb. 8, 1996, see section 402(b)(4) of Pub. L. 104-104, set out as a 
note under section 204 of this title.


                    Forbearance Authority Not Limited

    Nothing in amendment by Pub. L. 104-104 to be construed to limit 
authority of Commission to waive, modify, or forbear from applying 
certain requirements, see section 402(b)(3) of Pub. L. 104-104, set out 
as a note under section 204 of this title.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 155, 332, 405 of this title.
