Section 46-2-91. Penalties recoverable before commission; superior court filing of certain commission orders; venue; effect of judgment

   (a) Any person, firm, or corporation (referred to in this Code section as a "utility") subject to the jurisdiction of the commission, which utility willfully violates any law administered by the commission or any duly promulgated regulation issued thereunder or which fails, neglects, or refuses to comply with any order after notice thereof, shall be liable to a penalty not to exceed $15,000.00 for such violation and an additional penalty not to exceed $10,000.00 for each day during which such violation continues.

(b) (1) The commission, after a hearing conducted after not less than 30 days' notice, shall determine whether any utility has willfully violated any law administered by the commission or any duly promulgated regulation issued thereunder, or has failed, neglected, or refused to comply with any order of the commission. Upon an appropriate finding of a violation, the commission may impose by order such civil penalties as are provided by subsection (a) of this Code section. In each such proceeding, the commission shall maintain a record as provided in paragraph (8) of subsection (a) of Code Section 50-13-13 including all pleadings, a transcript of proceedings, a statement of each matter of which the commission takes official notice, and all staff memoranda or data submitted to the commission in connection with its consideration of the case. All penalties and interest thereon (at the rate of 10 percent per annum) recovered by the commission shall be paid into the general fund of the state treasury.

   (2) Any party aggrieved by a decision of the commission may seek judicial review as provided in subsection (c) of this Code section.

(c) (1) Any party who has exhausted all administrative remedies available before the commission and who is aggrieved by a final decision of the commission in a proceeding described in subsection (b) of this Code section may seek judicial review of the final order of the commission in the Superior Court of Fulton County.

   (2) Proceedings for review shall be instituted by filing a petition within 30 days after the service of the final decision of the commission or, if a rehearing is requested, within 30 days after the decision thereon. A motion for rehearing or reconsideration after a final decision by the commission shall not be a prerequisite to the filing of a petition for review. Copies of the petition shall be served upon the commission and all parties of record before the commission.

   (3) The petition shall state the nature of the petitioner's interest, the facts showing that the petitioner is aggrieved by the decision, and the ground, as specified in paragraph (6) of this subsection, upon which the petitioner contends that the decision should be reversed. The petition may be amended by leave of court.

   (4) Within 30 days after service of the petition, or within such further time as is stipulated by the parties or as is allowed by the court, the agency shall transmit to the reviewing court the original or a certified copy of the entire record of the proceedings under review. By stipulation of all parties to the review proceedings, the record may be shortened. A party unreasonably refusing to stipulate that the record be limited may be taxed for the additional costs. The court may require or permit subsequent corrections or additions to the record.

   (5) If, before the date set for hearing, application is made to the court for leave to present additional evidence, and it is shown to the satisfaction of the court that the additional evidence is material and there were good reasons for failure to present it in the proceedings before the agency, the court may order that the additional evidence be taken before the commission upon such procedure as is determined by the court. The commission may modify its findings and decision by reason of the additional evidence and shall file that evidence and any modifications, new findings, or decisions with the reviewing court.

   (6) The review shall be conducted by the court without a jury and shall be confined to the record. The court shall not substitute its judgment for that of the commission as to the weight of the evidence on questions of fact. The court may affirm the decision of the commission or remand the case for further proceedings. The court may reverse the decision of the commission if substantial rights of the petitioner have been prejudiced because the commission's findings, inferences, conclusions, or decisions are:

      (A) In violation of constitutional or statutory provisions;

      (B) In excess of the statutory authority of the commission;

      (C) Made upon unlawful procedure;

      (D) Clearly not supported by any reliable, probative, and substantial evidence on the record as a whole; or

      (E) Arbitrary or capricious.

   (7) A party aggrieved by an order of the court in a proceeding authorized under subsection (b) of this Code section may appeal to the Supreme Court of Georgia or to the Court of Appeals of Georgia in accordance with Article 2 of Chapter 6 of Title 5, the "Appellate Practice Act."

(d) The commission may file in the superior court in the county in which the person under order resides or in the county in which the violation occurred or, if the person is a corporation, in the county in which the corporation maintains its principal place of business a certified copy of a final order of the commission unappealed or of a final order of the commission affirmed upon appeal, whereupon the court shall render judgment in accordance therewith and notify the parties. The judgment shall have the same effect, and all proceedings in relation thereto shall thereafter be the same, as though the judgment had been rendered in an action duly heard and determined by the court.

Code 1933, § 93-309.2, enacted by Ga. L. 1973, p. 677, § 2; Ga. L. 1992, p. 1640, § 1; Ga. L. 1997, p. 708, § 1; Ga. L. 2004, p. 366, § 1; Ga. L. 2006, p. 708, § 1/SB 210.