Bill Text: CA AB2033 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 2033 (Prior Session Legislation)

CA State Legislature page for AB2033

Introduced

Bill Title: Deenergization: spoilage claims.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-14 - Referred to Com. on U. & E. [AB2033 Detail]

Download: California-2019-AB2033-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 2033

Introduced by Assembly Member Wood

January 30, 2020

An act to add Section 768.7 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to public utilities.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2033, as introduced, Wood. Deenergization: spoilage claims.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law requires each electrical corporation to annually prepare a wildfire mitigation plan and submit its plan to the commission for review and approval, as specified. Existing law requires the wildfire mitigation plan to include, among other things, protocols for disabling reclosers and deenergizing portions of the electrical distribution system, and appropriate and feasible procedures for notifying impacted customers.

Existing law requires the commission to establish a Wildfire Safety Division and gives the division certain duties, including consulting with the Office of Emergency Services in the office’s management and response to utility public safety power shutoffs and utility actions for compliance with public safety power shutoff rules and regulations.

This bill would require an electrical corporation that engages in a public safety power shutoff to compensate a customer for any qualified claim for spoilage of food or medication if the customer experienced an interruption in electrical service for greater than 8 hours and received less than 24 hours notice of the interruption.

Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act, or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission, is a crime.

Because the provisions of the bill would be included in the act, a violation of which would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 768.7 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:

768.7.

(a) If an electrical corporation engages in a public safety power shutoff, the electrical corporation shall compensate an eligible customer for any qualified claim made by the customer for spoilage of food or medication.

(b) For purposes of this section, “eligible customer” means a customer who experienced an interruption in electrical service for greater than 8 hours and received less than 24 hours notice of the interruption.

SEC. 2.

No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.