CaliforniaElectrical corporations and gas corporations: rate recovery: political activities and promotional advertising.
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, various expenses, including those associated with political influence activities or promotional advertising, as specified. The bill would require each electrical corporation or gas corporation to clearly and conspicuously disclose in all of its public messages whether the costs of the public messages are paid for by the corporation's shareholders or ratepayers. The bill would require each electrical corporation or gas corporation, on or before May 31, 2026, and annually thereafter, to report, as part of a specified statement to the commission, certain related information. The bill would require the commission to make the reports publicly available, as provided.
This bill would require the commission to assess a civil penalty, based on the severity of the violation, against an electrical corporation or gas corporation that violates the prohibition described above, or that neglects to comply with any part or provision of any order, decision, decree, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission related to implementing that prohibition, as provided.
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 provisions would be part of the act and a violation of a commission action implementing this bill's requirements 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 11Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 634, Statutes of 2025.Latest
- Oct 11Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 22Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.To Governor
- Sep 11
- Vote recorded AB 1167 Berman Concurrence in Senate Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
- Sep 10Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 50. Noes 8. Page 3251.).Major
- Sep 9In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading AB1167 Berman et al. By McNerney. Result: pass.Upper
- Sep 9Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 30. Noes 10. Page 2660.).Passed Senate
- Sep 2Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 29Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 29From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (August 29).Major
- Aug 18In committee: Referred to suspense file.Minor
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Jul 7Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jul 7Withdrawn from committee.Major
- Jul 3Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Major
- Jul 2From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 13. Noes 4.) (July 1).Major
- Jul 1
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Judiciary]. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 19From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on E., U & C.Major
- Jun 11Referred to Coms. on E., U & C. and JUD.Minor
- Jun 3In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Vote recorded AB 1167 Berman Assembly Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 2Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 52. Noes 1. Page 1917.)Passed Assembly
- May 27Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 23Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Lower
- May 23From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (May 23).Major
- May 23Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Ayes 51. Noes 16. Page 1644.)
- May 14In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- May 6Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- May 5Read second time and amended.Major
- May 1From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (April 30).Major
- Apr 30
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 22Re-referred to Com. on U. & E.Minor
- Apr 21From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on U. & E. Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 26Re-referred to Com. on U. & E.Minor
- Mar 25From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on U. & E. Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 24Referred to Com. on U. & E.Minor
- Feb 24Read first time.Minor
- Feb 22From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.
- Feb 21Introduced. To print.Introduced