Bill Text: CA SB1205 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Fire protection services: inspections: compliance reporting.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2018-09-27 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 854, Statutes of 2018. [SB1205 Detail]

Download: California-2017-SB1205-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Senate  April 16, 2018

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 1205

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Introduced by Senator Hill

February 15, 2018

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An act to add Section 592 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to public utilities.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 1205, as amended, Hill. Public utilities: gas and electrical corporations: safety violations: reporting.

(1) Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including gas and electrical corporations. The Public Utilities Act requires the commission to investigate the cause of all accidents occurring upon the property of any public utility or directly or indirectly arising from or connected with its maintenance or operation, resulting in loss of life or injury to person or property and requiring, in the judgment of the commission, investigation by it. Existing law authorizes the commission to make any order or recommendation with respect to the investigation that it determines to be just and reasonable. Existing law requires the commission to develop and implement a safety enforcement program that is applicable to gas and electrical corporations and that includes procedures for monitoring, data tracking and analysis, and investigations, as well as issuance of citations by commission staff, under the direction of the executive director of the commission. Existing law requires gas and electrical corporations to report various information to the commission.

This bill would require gas and electrical corporations to expeditiously report to the commission, upon discovery, any potential self-identified violation of an applicable law, or order or rule of the commission, that poses a significant safety threat, causes a systemwide impact, affects a large geographic region, or involves fraud, sabotage, falsification of records, or any other instance of deception by a gas or electrical corporation’s agent, employee, contractor, or subcontractor, as specified.

(2) 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 a commission order or other action would be required to implement the provisions of this bill and because a violation of that commission order or action would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program by creating a new crime.

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.

Digest Key

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

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Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 Section 592 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:

592.

 The commission shall require, at minimum, each gas or electrical corporation to expeditiously report to the commission, upon discovery, a potential self-identified violation of an applicable law, or order or rule of the commission, that does any of the following:

(a) Poses a significant safety threat to the public or its staff, contractors, or subcontractors.

(b) Causes a systemwide impact or affects a large geographic region.

(c) Involves any instance of fraud, sabotage, falsification of records, or any other instance of deception by a gas or electrical corporation’s agent, employee, contractor, or subcontractor.

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.