§606. Rehearings; court review of orders

A. Any party to an intrastate natural gas sale contract aggrieved by an order issued by the commissioner in a proceeding under this Part may apply for a rehearing within thirty days after the issuance of such order. The application for rehearing shall set forth specifically the ground or grounds upon which such application is based. Upon such application the commissioner shall have power to grant or deny rehearing or to abrogate or modify his order without further hearing. Unless the commissioner acts upon the application for rehearing within thirty days after it is filed, such application may be deemed to have been denied. No proceeding to review any order of the commissioner shall be brought by any person unless such person shall have made application to the commissioner for a rehearing thereon. Until the record in a proceeding shall have been filed in a court under Subsection (B) of this Section, the commissioner may at any time, upon reasonable notice and in such manner as he shall deem proper, modify or set aside, in whole or in part, any finding or order made or issued by him under the provisions of this Part.

B. Any party to a proceeding under this Part aggrieved by an order issued by the commissioner in such proceeding may obtain a review of such order in the district court having jurisdiction, by filing in such court, within sixty days after the order of the commissioner upon the application for rehearing, or within sixty days following the period the application for rehearing may be deemed to have been denied because of the failure of the commissioner to act, a written petition praying that the order of the commissioner be modified or set aside in whole or in part. A copy of such petition shall forthwith be transmitted by the clerk of the court to the commissioner and thereupon the commissioner shall file with the court the record upon which the order complained of was entered. Upon the filing of such petition such court shall have jurisdiction to affirm, modify, or set aside such order in whole or in part. No objection to the order of the commissioner shall be considered by the court unless such objection shall have been urged before the commissioner in the application for rehearing unless there is reasonable ground for failure so to do. The finding of the commissioner as to facts, if supported by substantial evidence, shall be conclusive. If any party shall apply to the court for leave to adduce additional evidence, and shall show to the satisfaction of the court that such additional evidence is material and that there were reasonable grounds for failure to adduce such evidence in the proceedings before the commissioner, the court may order such additional evidence to be taken before the commissioner and to be adduced upon the hearing in such manner and upon terms and conditions as the court may deem proper. The commissioner may modify his findings as to the facts by reason of the additional evidence so taken, and he shall file with the court such modified or new findings, which if supported by substantial evidence, shall be conclusive, and his recommendation, if any, for the modification or setting aside of the original order. The judgment and decree of the court, affirming, modifying, or setting aside, in whole or in part, any such order of the commissioner, shall be final, subject to review by the appellate court under the laws relating to appeals and subject to review by the Supreme Court of Louisiana upon its writs of certiorari.

C. The filing of an application for rehearing under Subsection (A) of this Section shall not, unless specifically ordered by the commissioner, operate as a stay of the commissioner's order. The commencement of proceedings under Subsection (B) of this Section shall not, unless specifically ordered by the court, operate as a stay of the commissioner's order.

Added by Acts 1973, Ex.Sess., No. 16, §1, emerg. eff. Dec. 8, 1973, at 9:55 A.M.