CaliforniaPublic utilities: property, franchises, and permits: exemption.
What it does
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities. Existing law prohibits public utilities, other than certain common carriers, from selling, leasing, assigning, mortgaging, or otherwise disposing of, or encumbering, its assets that are necessary or useful in the performance of its duties to the public, unless the public utility has secured an order from the commission to do so for a qualified transaction above $5,000,000 or an approval from the commission through the filing of an advice letter for a qualified transaction at or below $5,000,000.
More detail
This bill would exempt from that prohibition easements, or changes to easements, that have a ratepayer financial impact valued at $100,000 or less if a public utility that is a party to the qualified transaction has gross annual California revenues of $500,000,000 or more. The bill would require, beginning January 1, 2030, and every 5 years thereafter, those threshold values to increase to reflect any increase in inflation, as specified. The bill would require each public utility to annually file a Tier 1 advice letter with a report of all transactions performed pursuant to this exemption, enumerated by date, value, location, and party.
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 a violation of a commission action implementing the above-described provisions 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.
Where do you stand?
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2025
- Oct 1Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 150, Statutes of 2025.Latest
- Oct 1Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 9Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.To Governor
- Sep 3Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 2854.).Major
- Vote recorded AB 420 Petrie-Norris Concurrence in Senate Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 26In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
- Aug 25Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 2250.).Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Consent Calendar 2nd AB420 Petrie-Norris. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 20Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.Minor
- Aug 19From committee: Be ordered to second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to Consent Calendar.Minor
- Jul 17Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Jul 17From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (July 15).Major
- Jul 15
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 26In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
- Jun 4Referred to Com. on E., U & C.Minor
- May 23In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Vote recorded AB 420 Petrie-Norris Consent Calendar Second Day. Result: pass.Lower
- May 23Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 71. Noes 0. Page 1661.)Passed Assembly
- May 15Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.Minor
- May 14From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (May 14).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 29Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Apr 28Read second time and amended.Major
- Apr 24From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 18. Noes 0.) (April 23).Major
- Apr 23
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 10Re-referred to Com. on U. & E.Minor
- Apr 9From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on U. & E. Read second time and amended.Major
- Feb 18Referred to Com. on U. & E.Minor
- Feb 6From printer. May be heard in committee March 8.
- Feb 5Read first time. To print.Introduced