Bill Text: CA SB199 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: Public Utilities Commission: Office of the Safety Advocate.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Vetoed) 2020-01-13 - Veto sustained. [SB199 Detail]

Download: California-2019-SB199-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Senate  April 08, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 199

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Introduced by Senator Hill

January 31, 2019

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An act to amend Section 309.8 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to the Public Utilities Commission.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 199, as amended, Hill. Public Utilities Commission: Office of the Safety Advocate.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations, gas corporations, and water corporations. Existing law establishes the Office of the Safety Advocate within the commission, until January 1, 2020, to advocate for the continuous, cost-effective improvement of the safety management and safety performance of public utilities.

This bill would extend indefinitely the operation of the an independent Office of the Safety Advocate until January 1, 2025. Advocate. The bill would require that the director of the office be appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate, and make the director’s service subject to the pleasure of the Governor. The bill would require the director of the office to appear annually before the appropriate policy committees of the Assembly and the Senate to report on the activities of the office.

Existing law requires the office to undertake specific actions, including that it recommend improvements to the commission’s safety management policy and procedures and its safety culture.

This bill would require that the commission adopt a timeline by which the commission would complete its evaluation of a recommendation made by the office for improvement of the commission’s safety management policy and procedures or to its safety culture. The bill would require the commission to vote on whether to adopt a recommendation and, where applicable, adopt a timeline for implementation of a recommendation. The bill would require the office to work with the chief internal auditor of the commission to ensure the commission complies with these requirements.

Digest Key

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

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Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 Section 309.8 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read:

309.8.

 (a) There is hereby established within the commission the an independent Office of the Safety Advocate to advocate for the continuous, cost-effective improvement of the safety management and safety performance of public utilities.

(b) The director of the office shall be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate.

(b)

(c) The office shall promote public utility safety by doing all of the following:

(1) Advocating, as a party to commission proceedings and on behalf of the interests of public utility customers, for effective public utility safety management and infrastructure improvements and for the transparency of safety information, including, but not limited to, information relating to past perfes of the Assembly and the Senate to report on the activities of the office.

(c)

(f) On or before January 10 of each year, the office shall provide to the chairpersons of the appropriate fiscal and policy committees of each house of the Legislature all of the following information:

(1) The actions taken by the office to recommend improvements to the commission’s safety management policy and procedures and its safety culture related to the oversight of utilities.

(2) The actions taken by the office to recommend improvements to public utility safety management policy and procedures and safety culture.

(3) The proceedings in which the office participated and a brief description of the testimony it filed.

(d)This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2025, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2025, deletes or extends that date.