SB 1198

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Existing law makes any operator or excavator who violates provisions relating to the protection of underground infrastructure subject to a civil penalty, as provided. Existing law authorizes specified entities to impose those civil penalties and requires, under certain circumstances, moneys derived from those civil penalties to be deposited in the Safe Energy Infrastructure and Excavation Fund. Existing law makes the moneys in the fund available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for purposes of the California Underground Facilities Safe Excavation Board and to fund public education and outreach programs designed to promote excavation safety around subsurface installations, as specified. This bill would make any contractor that causes damage to a subsurface installation as a result of failing to provide notice of the need for a gas corporation to locate and mark its subsurface installations or commencing excavation before a gas corporation marks its subsurface installations subject to a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed $100,000 and possible suspension or revocation of the contractor's license if specified conditions are met. The bill would require all moneys collected pursuant to these civil penalties, including all of the civil penalties in existing law described above, to be deposited in the Safe Energy Infrastructure and Excavation Fund. (2) Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including gas corporations. Existing law requires the commission to require each gas corporation to provide bundled basic gas service to all core customers in its service territory unless the customer chooses or contracts to have natural gas purchased and supplied by another entity. This bill would require the commission to require each gas corporation to establish gas service, reconnect gas service, and respond to leak reports within specified timeframes, as provided. The bill would require each gas corporation to ensure it has an adequately sized, qualified, and properly trained gas corporation workforce, as defined, to carry out those requirements. (3) Existing law, the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 2011, within the Public Utilities Act, requires each gas corporation, twice per year, or as determined by the commission, to file with the commission a gas transmission and storage safety report, as provided. Existing law also requires the commission to require a gas corporation to file a one-time report on methane leaks, as specified. This bill would also require each gas corporation, twice per year, or as determined by the commission, to file an analogous leak report with the commission. (4) The Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 2011 requires each gas corporation to develop a plan for the safe and reliable operation of its commission-regulated gas pipeline facility, as defined. The act requires the commission to accept, modify, or reject the plan for each gas corporation by December 31, 2012. The act requires the plan to ensure that an adequately sized, qualified, and properly trained gas corporation workforce carries out the plan's provisions. This bill would require the commission to review and republish those safety plans of each gas corporation not later than June 30, 2021. The bill would require each gas corporation to develop, sponsor, and conduct formal training, apprenticeship, and journeyworker-upgrade programs to recruit and train employees in the skills needed for the work traditionally performed by its employees. (5) 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 provisions of this bill would be a part of the act and because a violation of an order or decision of the commission implementing its requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (6) 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.