Bill Text: CA SB549 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: Public utilities: redirection of moneys authorized for maintenance, safety, or reliability.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2017-09-25 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 284, Statutes of 2017. [SB549 Detail]

Download: California-2017-SB549-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Assembly  May 31, 2017

Amended  IN  Senate  March 29, 2017

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 549

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Introduced by Senator Bradford

February 16, 2017

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An act to add Section 591 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to public utilities.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 549, as amended, Bradford. Public utilities: reports: moneys for maintenance and safety. maintenance, safety, and reliability.

Existing law establishes the Public Utilities Commission, with regulatory jurisdiction and authority over public utilities, including electrical and gas corporations. Existing law places various responsibilities upon the commission to ensure that public utility services are provided in a manner that protects the public safety and the safety of utility employees.

This bill would require an electrical or gas corporation to annually submit a report to the commission, within 60 days, each time moneys commission reporting each time that capital or expense revenue authorized by the commission for maintenance or safety are maintenance, safety, or reliability is redirected for by the electrical or gas corporation to other purposes. The bill would require the commission to set a monetary threshold under which that redirected revenue would not be required to be reported. The bill would require the commission to establish a process and procedure by which the electrical or gas corporation would be required to submit the report. The bill would require the process and procedure to ensure that the report is also made available in a timely fashion to the Office of the Safety Advocate, Office of Ratepayer Advocates, and parties on the service list of any relevant proceeding.

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 this bill would be a part of the act and because a violation of an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission implementing the bill’s requirements would be a crime, the 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 591 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:

591.

 (a) The commission shall require an electrical or gas corporation to annually submit a report to the commission, within 60 days, each time moneys commission reporting each time that capital or expense revenue authorized by the commission for maintenance or safety are maintenance, safety, or reliability is redirected for by the electrical or gas corporation to other purposes. purposes, except as specified in subdivision (b).

(b) (1) The commission shall establish a process and procedure by which the electrical or gas corporation shall submit the report to the commission pursuant to subdivision (a). The

(2) The process and procedure established by the commission shall ensure that the report is also made available in a timely fashion to the Office of the Safety Advocate, Office of Ratepayer Advocates, and parties on the service list of any relevant proceeding.

(3) In establishing the process and procedure, the commission shall set a monetary threshold under which the redirected revenue described in subdivision (a) is not required to be reported.

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.