Effective Monday, May 12, 2014, the Commission will accept electronic filing of documents through the Commission’s electronic case management system (e-CMS). Parties may access the e-CMS for registration and filing of documents through the Commission’s homepage by selecting “Click here to file a document electronically” on the E-FILING button.

Today the Commission published in the Federal Register the attached extension of comment period. 

The Commission published an interim rule, entitled, “Procedural Rules to Permit Parties to File and Serve Documents Electronically,” in the Federal Register on December 23, 2013 (78 Fed. Reg. 77354), and a correction to the interim rule on January 17, 2014 (79 Fed. Reg. 3104).  The interim rule became effective on January 22, 2014. 

The Commission’s electronic case management system (e-CMS), which allows parties to file documents electronically through a portal which may be accessed on the Commission’s website, is being implemented in phases this spring.

The Commission has extended the comment period on the interim rule from April 22 to July 31, 2014, so that parties  may include in their comments any experiences they have had using the e-CMS.
 

On December 23, 2013, the Commission published in the Federal Register an Interim Rule with Request for Comments.  The interim rule sets forth changes to the Commission’s procedural rules that permit parties to file and serve documents electronically.  The interim rule took effect on January 22, 2014, so that the rule changes would be in place when the Commission’s electronic case management system (e-CMS) becomes available. The Commission is implementing the electronic filing process for the e-CMS in stages. It is expected that efiling will be available for the public in late April or early May 2014. At that time instructions for its use will be posted.

The Commission is requesting a budget of $17,061,000 for FY 2015 to support the fulltime equivalent (FTE) of 79 staff members. This budget level is $638,000 and 3 FTE above the FY 2014 enacted level. This request also reflects a one-percent pay increase for civilian employees, an adjustment to the rent costs for the agency headquarters, and funding for three additional counsels in the Office of the Chairman and Commissioners.

The Commission has corrected an interim rule that appeared in the Federal Register of December 23, 2013 (78 FR 77354).  The correction adds a conforming change indicating that only original documents need to be filed pursuant to § 2700.75.

On December 23, 2013, the Commission published in the Federal Register an Interim Rule with Request for Comments.  The interim rule sets forth changes to the Commission’s procedural rules that permit parties to file and serve documents electronically.  The interim rule will take effect on January 22, 2014, so that the rule changes will be in place when the Commission’s electronic case management system (e-CMS) goes live.  The Commission will accept comments on the rule changes until April 22, 2014.  The deadline for comments will be extended if necessary.  Given these time-frames, parties should be able to comment on the rules after the parties have had experience using e-CMS.