Roderick Wright
- Democratic
Author
(1) Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has broad regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations, as defined. Existing law restructuring the electrical industry requires the commission to authorize and facilitate direct transactions between electricity suppliers and end-use customers subject to the implementation of a nonbypassable charge, as specified. Electrical restructuring requires electric service providers, which are entities that offer electrical service to customers within the service territory of an electrical corporation but which are not electrical corporations, to register with the commission and to disclose specified information, among other things and authorizes the commission to enforce specific statutes with respect to electric service providers, but does not grant the commission jurisdiction to regulate electric service providers other than as specified. Existing law restructuring the electrical industry requires the commission to compile and regularly update information regarding registered electric service providers, including the names and contact numbers of providers, information to assist consumers in making service choices, the number of customer complaints against specific providers in relation to the number of customers served by those providers, and the disposition of those complaints. In this regard, existing law requires the commission to direct the Division of Ratepayer Advocates to collect and analyze this information for purposes of preparing easily understandable informational guides or other tools to help residential and small commercial customers understand how to evaluate competing electric service options. This bill would, except for the compilation and updating of the names and contact numbers of providers, make inoperative the above provisions, except for those times in which providers are authorized to offer service to residential customers and enrollment increases at a specified level, and would make conforming changes in related provisions. The bill would repeal the requirement related to the informational guides. (2) Existing law relative to the restructuring of the natural gas industry requires the commission to require each gas corporation to provide bundled basic gas service, as defined, to all core customers in its service territory unless the customer chooses or contracts to have natural gas purchased and supplied by another entity. The Public Utilities Act establishes various consumer protection provisions relative to electrical restructuring, including the requirement that each entity, other than an electrical corporation, offering electrical service to residential and small commercial customers within the service territory of an electrical corporation register with the commission and provide specified information to the commission. A violation of the act is a crime. This bill would extend certain consumer protection provisions that are applicable to electrical restructuring to aspects of natural gas restructuring, including the requirement to register with, and provide specified information to the commission, to a core transport agent, as defined, offering gas service to customers within the service territory of a gas corporation. Because a violation of these provisions would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) 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.
Approved by the Governor.
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 604, Statutes of 2013.
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10.
Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 33. Noes 0. Page 2430.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
From committee: That the Assembly amendments be concurred in. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 2452.)
From committee: Be re-referred to Com. on E., U., & C. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10. (Ayes 4. Noes 0. Page 2405.) Re-referred to Com. on E., U., & C.
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 75. Noes 0. Page 3220.) Ordered to the Senate.
Ordered to third reading.
Read third time and amended. (Page 2957.)
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 30).
Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (July 1).
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on U. & C.
Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on U. & C.
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 943.) Ordered to the Assembly.
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
From committee: Be placed on second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.
Set for hearing May 13.
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0. Page 750.) (April 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E., U., & C.
Set for hearing April 30.
Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
Set for hearing April 16.
Read first time.
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 25.
Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
| Bill Text Versions | Format |
|---|---|
| SB656 | HTML |
| 02/22/13 - Introduced | |
| 04/22/13 - Amended Senate | |
| 06/13/13 - Amended Assembly | |
| 06/26/13 - Amended Assembly | |
| 08/06/13 - Amended Assembly | |
| 09/03/13 - Amended Assembly | |
| 09/06/13 - Amended Assembly | |
| 09/19/13 - Enrolled | |
| 10/05/13 - Chaptered |
| Document | Format |
|---|---|
| No related documents. |
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