Bill Text: CA SB705 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

California Senate Bill 705 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Utility workers: harassment: public campaign.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Failed) 2024-02-01 - Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [SB705 Detail]

Download: California-2023-SB705-Amended.html

Amended IN Senate April 18, 2023

Amended IN Senate March 20, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 705

Introduced by Senator Ashby

February 16, 2023

An act to add Article 6 (commencing with Section 8290) to Chapter 7 of Division 4 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to public utilities.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 705, as amended, Ashby. Utility workers: harassment: public campaign.

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations.

This bill would require the commission to develop, in coordination with electrical corporations, gas corporations, and the unions representing the impacted workers, and conduct a 5-year, statewide, public campaign to raise awareness and understanding around the harassment of utility workers and contractors in the state, as specified. The bill would require the commission, at the end of each year of the campaign, to evaluate the effectiveness of the campaign, and to prepare and publish on its internet website an annual report describing the campaign’s activities, effectiveness, and gaps, as specified. The bill would require ~~the commission to use fines collected from electrical corporations and gas corporations to fund the campaign and associated annual evaluations and reports.~~ implementation of these provisions to be subject to the commission receiving sufficient funding for the campaign.

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

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

SECTION 1.

Article 6 (commencing with Section 8290) is added to Chapter 7 of Division 4 of the Public Utilities Code, to read:

Article 6. Utility Worker Safety

8290.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Utility workers provide essential services to California residents and businesses. They work every day to provide safe, efficient, and reliable electric and gas services to Californians.

(b) Because working around gas pipelines and live electrical wires and facilities is highly dangerous, injuries and fatalities are too common. This work is particularly dangerous in adverse weather conditions when utility workers restore and maintain electric and gas services.

(c) Following the catastrophic wildfires in 2017 and 2018 and the public safety power shutoffs in 2019, the public’s attitude towards utility workers changed. Utility workers used to be treated as a welcome sight during a power outage. In 2019, utility workers experienced open hostility from customers, threats, physical assaults, and gun shots.

(d) These types of incidents put utility workers at even higher risk and undermine the ability of utility workers to do their jobs. These types of incidents must be strongly discouraged.

(e) Due to these ongoing incidents, the state’s largest electrical corporation is implementing a pilot program using ballistic vests to determine the feasibility of outfitting utility workers with an added layer of safety protection.

(f) The Legislature must also take steps to ensure the safety and security of utility workers. This includes educating the public about the increased frequency of aggression and violence towards utility workers and the importance of utility workers to safe and reliable electric and gas services.

8291.

(a) The commission shall develop, in coordination with electrical corporations, gas corporations, and the unions representing the impacted workers, and conduct a five-year, statewide, public campaign to raise awareness and understanding around the harassment of utility workers and contractors in the state, including verbal and physical threats, intimidation, assault, and battery, for the purpose of preventing the harassment of utility workers and contractors.

(b) (1) The commission shall conduct the campaign online and in physical locations, such as sidewalks, parks, and public transit stops and stations, and shall use multiple types of media, including, but not limited to, television, radio, newspapers, internet websites, social media, and signs.

(2) The commission shall develop culturally relevant content, conduct the campaign in multiple languages in order to reach limited-English-proficient populations, and use media serving specific ethnic communities.

(c) At the end of each year of the campaign, the commission shall evaluate the effectiveness of the campaign, including its impact, if any, on awareness of, attitudes about, and the occurrence of, harassment of utility workers and contractors. The commission shall prepare and publish on its internet website an annual report describing the campaign’s activities, effectiveness, and gaps, and how the commission will address those gaps in the remaining years of the campaign.

(d)The commission shall use fines collected from electrical corporations and gas corporations to fund the development and implementation of the campaign and associated annual evaluations and reports.
(d) Implementation of this section shall be subject to the commission receiving sufficient funding for the campaign described in subdivision (a).