CaliforniaPublic utilities: review of accounts: electrical and gas corporations: rates: political influence activities.
What it does
Existing law authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to fix the rates and charges for public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations, and requires those rates and charges to be just and reasonable. Under existing law, a regulated public utility is prohibited from using ratepayer funds for advocacy-related activities that are political or do not otherwise benefit ratepayers.
More detail
This bill would prohibit, except as provided, each electrical corporation or gas corporation from recording to accounts that contain expenses that the electrical corporation or gas corporation recovers from ratepayers, or otherwise recovering from ratepayers, direct or indirect costs of opposing the municipalization of electrical or gas service, as specified. The bill would require the commission to monitor and investigate compliance and noncompliance with the prohibition.
Existing law authorizes the commission, each commissioner, and each officer and person employed by the commission to inspect the accounts, books, papers, and documents of any public utility.
This bill would specify that the Public Advocate's Office of the Public Utilities Commission has the same authority to discover information and review the accounts of a public utility as the commission.
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 above-described provisions would be part of the act and a violation of a commission action implementing the bill's requirements would be a crime, this 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 Senate
- Passed Assembly
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Mar 2Veto sustained.Latest
- Mar 2Stricken from file.
- 2025
- Oct 11In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending.
- Oct 11Vetoed by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Major
- Sep 23Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.To Governor
- Sep 12Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 29. Noes 9. Page 2965.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.Major
- Vote recorded Unfinished Business SB24 McNerney et al. Concurrence. Result: pass.Upper
- Sep 12In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- Sep 11Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 46. Noes 9. Page 3282.) Ordered to the Senate.Passed Assembly
- Vote recorded SB 24 McNerney Senate Third Reading By Berman. Result: pass.Lower
- Sep 5Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Sep 5Read third time and amended.Major
- Sep 5Assembly Rule 69(b)(1) suspended.
- Sep 3Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Sep 2Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Aug 29From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 9. Noes 1.) (August 29).Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 20August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- Jun 27Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Jun 26From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 1.) (June 25).Major
- Jun 25
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 17From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on U. & E.Major
- Jun 9Referred to Com. on U. & E.Minor
- Jun 3In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.Minor
- Jun 2Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 10. Page 1360.) Ordered to the Assembly.Passed Senate
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading. Result: pass.Upper
- May 23Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Upper
- May 23From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 1187.) (May 23).Minor
- May 16Set for hearing May 23.
- May 5May 5 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 25Set for hearing May 5.
- Apr 23Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Apr 23Withdrawn from committee.Major
- Apr 23April 29 hearing postponed by committee.
- Apr 22From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Major
- Apr 22From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 13. Noes 4. Page 809.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Apr 21
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 11Set for hearing April 29 in JUD. pending receipt.
- Apr 10Set for hearing April 21.
- Apr 2Re-referred to Coms. on E., U & C. and JUD.Minor
- Mar 25From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.Major
- Jan 29Referred to Com. on RLS.Minor
- 2024
- Dec 3From printer. May be acted upon on or after January 2.
- Dec 2Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.Introduced