Energy



SB 25 (Leonard-R) - Public Utilities:  Electric Utilities:  
Generation Capacity

Prohibits the Public Utilities Commission from requiring electric 
utilities to purchase specified resource additions in the future; 
however, the commission continues to reserve the ability to 
conduct reasonableness reviews of those generation resource 
additions.

(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)



SB 956 (Leonard-R) - Energy Resources:  Governmental 
Reorganization

Renames the State Department of Conservation as the State 
Department of Energy and Conservation (DEC), abolishes the 
California Energy Commission, and transfers all the commission's 
responsibilities to DEC.  Creates within DEC a 5-member State 
Energy Facilities Siting Board to succeed the commission's duties 
related to energy facility and site certification.  Also transfers the 
California Energy Extension Service from the Office of Planning 
and Research to DEC.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)



SB 1441 (Greene-D) - Energy Resources:  Federal Oil Overcharge 
Funds

Allocates $150,000 from the Petroleum Violation Escrow Account 
to the California Energy Commission for a grant to the 
Sacramento Municipal Utility District for a program to 
demonstrate the use of photovoltaic technology and building 
materials in K-12 schools.

(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications 
Committee)



SB 1467 (Johannessen-R) - Energy Resources:  Federal Oil 
Overcharge Funds

Allocates $500,000 to the State Department of Transportation for 
a grant to the City of Redding for constructing a bicycle bridge to 
transform an existing bike trail into a unifying commuter 
bikeway.

(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications 
Committee)



SB 1981 (Hurtt-R) - Energy Resources:  Vehicles:  Federal Oil 
Overcharge Funds

Allocates monies from the Petroleum Violation Escrow Account 
(1) to provide $4 million to the Department of Consumer Affairs 
and the State Air Resources Board for the purchase of older, 
higher-polluting, lower-gas-mileage vehicles so that they may be 
scrapped and (2) to provide $500,000 to the Department of 
General Services to design and operate a data base which 
compares the life-cycle costs of alternatively fueled vehicles.

(Failed passage in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications 
Committee)



SB 2107 (Alquist-D) - Energy Resources:  Federal Oil Overcharge 
Funds

Appropriates $11,551,000 in Petroleum Violation Escrow Account 
(PVEA) funds for various energy savings and related types of 
projects.  In addition, makes various reappropriations of past 
PVEA appropriations (primarily AB 1671, Katz, of 1995) which 
are necessary for technical purposes.

(Died on Senate Unfinished Business File)



AB 1852 (Sher-D) - Energy Resources:  Low-Emission Heavy-Duty 
Trucks

Appropriates $10 million of Petroleum Violation Escrow Account 
funds to create the California State Implementation Plan Heavy-
Duty Truck Fund for the purpose of providing grants to 
purchasers of low-emission, heavy-duty trucks.

(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications 
Committee)



AB 1867* (Villaraigosa-D) - Energy Resources:  Federal Oil 
Overcharge Funds

A clean-up bill to the 1995 Petroleum Violation Escrow Account 
legislation, makes technical corrections and project clarifications 
to various projects which were already approved in the 1995 
appropriation.  Does not change project amounts.

(Died in Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee)



AB 2702 (Bowler-R) - Petroleum Violation Escrow Account:  
Appropriation

Appropriate $35,639,281 from the Petroleum Violation Escrow 
Account to the California Energy Commission and the State 
Department of Transportation for grants for specified purposes.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

Utilities



SB 25 (Leonard-R) - Electric Utilities:  Generation Capacity

Prohibits the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) from requiring 
electric utilities to purchase specified resource additions in the 
future; however, the PUC continues to reserve the ability to 
conduct reasonableness reviews of those generation resource 
additions.  Does not apply to municipal electric utilities.

(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)



SB 185* (Kopp-I) - Public Utilities:  Carriers

Shifts the regulation of motor carrier registration, insurance and 
safety requirements from the Public Utilities Commission to the 
California Highway Patrol and the Department of Motor Vehicles.  
Imposes an excise tax on diesel fuel, and imposes fees on motor 
carriers of property to cover the cost of the Motor Carrier Safety 
Improvement Fund.  Also imposes a uniform business license tax 
on motor carriers of property to be deposited in the Motor 
Carriers Uniform Business License Tax Account for disbursement 
to cities and counties.

(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications 
Committee)



SB 207* (Polanco-D) - Telecommunications Services:  Rates

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to develop, by October 
1, 1996, a competitively neutral, broad-based program to help 
ensure that telephone service is widely available and affordable.

Chapter 750, Statutes of 1996 



SB 415* (Thompson-D) - Public Utilities:  Carriers

Eliminates the procedure for settling claims made by highway 
carriers or their assignees against shippers of freight regarding 
undercharges by that carrier.  Prohibits a highway carrier, a 
freight forwarder, or any representative or assignee of a carrier or 
freight forwarder from collecting or attempting to collect any 
additional charge in excess of the originally billed negotiated rate, 
except when mistakes are acknowledged by both parties or that 
are the result of intentional misrepresentation by the shipper.

Chapter 72, Statutes of 1996 



SB 610 (Leonard-R) - Consumer Contracts:  Cable Television

Establishes a statutory late fee provision for cable television 
services.  Prohibits sellers or providers of cable television services 
from imposing delinquency fees on unpaid accounts, unless 
specified requirements are met.  Specifies that the delinquency 
fee that may be imposed by a seller or provider of cable television 
services may not exceed $4.75, as specified.

Chapter 666, Statutes of 1996 



SB 678 (Polanco-D) - Public Utilities:  Natural Gas Surcharge:  
Public Policy Programs

Requests a study to ensure that all end users of natural gas share 
in the funding of state-mandated, low-income customer programs.

Chapter 285, Statutes of 1996 



SB 960 (Leonard-R) - Public Utilities Commission:  
Administrative Procedures

Creates within the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) a consumer 
advocacy division to represent consumer interests before the 
commission, changes the internal processes within the PUC to 
require greater involvement of PUC commissioners in all aspects 
of commission decision-making, and creates 3 classes of cases 
within the PUC:  adjudication, rate setting, and quasi-legislative.

Chapter 856, Statutes of 1996 



SB 1032 (Calderon-D) - Telephones:  Mobile Radios

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to study and report to 
the Legislature, by January 1, 1998, on the effect of the federal 
preemption of state regulatory authority over wireless telephone 
services.

(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)



SB 1035 (Peace-D) - Public Utilities:  Telephones

Prohibits a telephone company from charging for unlisted 
telephone service, and requires "Caller I.D." of telemarketers.

Chapter 675, Statutes of 1996 



SB 1099 (Alquist-D) - Public Utilities:  Water Corporations

Allows water corporations to use the proceeds from the sale of 
unnecessary assets prior to January 1, 1996 to reinvest in water 
infrastructure, within an 8-year period.

Chapter 965, Statutes of 1996 



SB 1140 (Peace-D) - Public Utilities:  Telephones

Tightens the procedures by which a residential telephone 
customer's provider of service may be changed (i.e., changing 
long-distance companies from MCI to AT&T).

Chapter 358, Statutes of 1996 



SB 1142 (Peace-D) - Telephone Sellers:  Non-Solicitation Register

Allows California telephone subscribers, after paying a fee of $5 
or less, to place themselves on a "Do-Not-Call" list for all 
telephone solicitations, removes the current 21 exemptions from 
the regulation of telephone sellers, and penalizes businesses for 
calls made to the list.  Requires the Department of Consumer 
Affairs to establish the registry for the telephone numbers of 
those consumers who do not want to receive telephone 
solicitations.

(Failed passage in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)



SB 1322 (Calderon-D) - Public Utilities Commission:  Judicial 
Review

Grants to courts of appeal jurisdiction to review Public Utilities 
Commission (PUC) decisions.  Broadens the bases for judicial 
review and reversal of quasi-judicial PUC decisions, as specified.  
Provides that a party affected by a PUC decision is able to file an 
appeal with the Court of Appeal if the PUC has granted a 
rehearing in the case but has failed to render a decision within 
120 days of granting the rehearing request.

Chapter 855, Statutes of 1996 



SB 1657 (Dills-D) - Public Utilities:  Disabled Veteran Business 
Enterprises

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish a 
reasonable participation goal for disabled veteran business 
enterprises, by January 31, 1997, for contracts awarded by any 
electrical, gas, or telephone company for construction, 
professional services, material, supplies, equipment, alterations 
or improvement.

Vetoed by the Governor 




SB 1662 (Kelley-R) - Public Utilities:  Carriers

Extends for 1 year, until January 1, 1998, the sunset clause of 
various Public Utilities Code statutes dealing with transportation.  
(These statutes have the effect of ensuring the Public Utilities 
Commission's continued authority to regulate transportation 
safety and insurance requirements.)

Chapter 1037, Statutes of 1996 



SB 1886 (Russell-R) - Public Utilities:  Electricity

Prohibits a privately owned or publicly owned public utility from 
providing partial or full electric service to an existing retail 
customer, as of December 20, 1995, of another privately owned or 
publicly owned utility unless the customer first enters into an 
agreement with the utility currently providing electric service, to 
pay a non-bypassable severance fee or competitive transition 
charge established by the regulatory body for the utility.

(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Commerce Committee)



SB 1896 (Costa-D) - Local Agency Fees:  Public Utilities

Enacts the California Telecommunications Infrastructure 
Development Act which clearly states that permit fees related to 
telecommunications cannot exceed the reasonable costs of 
providing the service for which the fee is charged and cannot be 
levied for general revenue purposes.

Chapter 300, Statutes of 1996 



SB 1952 (Mello-D) - Public Utilities:  Economic Development

Designates that economic development utility rates be applied to 
industries or businesses located in federal rural enterprise 
communities.

Chapter 215, Statutes of 1996 



SB 2017 (Kopp-I) - Public Utilities:  Damages

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish procedures 
for, and accept, claims made against gas and electric utilities for 
damages to property that result from the negligence of the utility 
in restoring service after various types of disasters (fire, flood, 
earthquake, etc.).

(Failed passage in Assembly Judiciary Committee)



SB 2088 (Russell-R) - Public Utilities:  Telephones

Requires that cellular telephone companies (1) maintain rate lists 
available for public inspection, (2) offer their services both as a 
package and as individually by service element, (3) not restrict 
the ability of a reseller to purchase or resell cellular telephone 
service, and (4) make available to resellers all services offered to 
others on the same terms and conditions.

(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Commerce Committee)



SB 2103 (Haynes-R) - Electric Service Duplication

Provides private electric utilities with a right to compensation 
when public agencies construct facilities to provide electric service 
within the private utility's service area.

(Died in Senate Judiciary Committee)



SB 2143 (Hurtt-R) - Public Utilities:  Rights

Provides that public utilities and other service suppliers shall not 
be liable to any customer as a result of collecting various taxes 
imposed by public entities.  Grants various rights to, and imposes 
various requirements on, public utilities and other service 
suppliers and imposes new duties on local agencies with respect to 
the imposition, repeal, or collection of those taxes.  Also allows 
water corporations to use the proceeds from the sale of 
unnecessary assets prior to January 1, 1996 to reinvest in water 
infrastructure, within an 8-year period.

(Sent to Senate Local Government Committee due to a Senate 
Rule 29.10 violation; died in comittee)



SCA 21 (Peace-D) - Public Utilities Commission

Repeals those sections of Article XII of the California 
Constitution, which established the Public Utilities Commission 
(PUC), its membership and terms; but retains provisions dealing 
with prohibition of free rail passes and plenary powers of the 
Legislature over the PUC. 

(Died in Conference Committee)



AB 118 (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities:  Insurance Documents

Provides that it is a "wobbler" to knowingly and willfully file 
fictitious insurance documents portraying evidence of mandated 
insurance coverage to the Public Utilities Commission.  Exempts 
the felony portion from the "Three Strikes" law.

(Died on Assembly Inactive File awaiting concurrence in Senate 
amendments)



AB 288 (Cannella-D) - Public Utilities:  Disclosure

Expands public utility disclosure by allowing all peace officers 
access to information relevant and material to an investigation 
relating to unlawful drug trafficking or manufacturing.  Provides 
that no public utility, or official or employee thereof, shall be 
subject to criminal or civil liability for the release of customer 
information in reasonable reliance on a statement of probable 
cause appearing on its face to be valid.

(Failed passage in Senate Judiciary Committee)



AB 584 (Rainey-R) - East Bay Municipal Utility District

Imposes specified restrictions on the tiered pricing water rates of the East Bay Municipal 
Utility District.

(Died in Senate Agriculture and Water Resources Committee)



AB 622 (Conroy-R) - Electric and Gas Service:  Master-Meter 
Customers

Provides a procedure for the transfer of master-meter electricity 
and gas systems from existing mobilehome park owners to the 
state's utility system.

Chapter 424, Statutes of 1996 



AB 648* (Cannella-D) - Electricity:  Rates for Food Processors

Establishes an experimental 3-year program giving qualified food 
processors the authority to purchase power directly from available 
power producers, rather than from the Public Utilities 
Commission-regulated utilities; and allows the electricity to be 
"wheeled" over the existing transmission and distribution system 
of the regulated electrical corporation.

(Failed passage in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)



AB 689 (McPherson-R) - Household Goods Carriers

Requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to annually 
investigate every household goods carrier listed in every classified 
telephone directory to determine whether or not those businesses 
are operating with the proper authorization.  For those businesses 
in violation of operating laws, requires the PUC to have the 
telephone utility disconnect the telephone service to those 
businesses.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)



AB 845 (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities:  Electric and Gas-Fueled 
Vehicles

Prohibits the Public Utilities Commission from allowing a public 
utility to use funds paid by ratepayers for rebates on the 
purchases of electric vehicle batteries and/or electric vehicles.

(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)



AB 993* (Martinez-D) - Electricity:  Rates

Requires the Public Utilities Commission, in any proceeding that 
restructures the provision of electrical services, to provide for a 
more competitive market and to follow specified guidelines 
designed to protect ratepayer interests.

(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications 
Committee)



AB 1048 (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities:  Electrical Corporations

Requires every electrical corporation regulated by the Public 
Utilities Commission to provide transmission service to a non-
regulated power producer on terms and at rates comparable to its 
own use.

(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications 
Committee)



AB 1095 (Martinez-D) - Public Utilities:  Gas Corporations:  
Public Disclosure

Allows gas utilities to keep confidential specific information 
contained in contracts negotiated with ratepayers in competitive 
markets, where the terms and conditions differ from the rates and 
terms on file with the Public Utilities Commission.

Chapter 8, Statutes of 1996 



AB 1121 (Conroy-R) - Telecommunications:  Federal Law:  
Conflicts

Provides that any provision of the Public Utilities Act that is in 
conflict with federal law shall not apply to wireless 
telecommunications service to the extent of that conflict.  
Provides the Public Utilities Commission with the authority to 
exempt wireless communications services from filing tariffs, 
which are required under current law.

Chapter 574, Statutes of 1996 



AB 1123* (Sher-D) - Public Utilities:  Electrical Corporations

Provides mechanisms for the continuation of the environmental 
and social programs presently subsidized by surcharges to 
ratepayer bills.  Also ensures that equal access will be provided to 
all ratepayers without regard to the source of the power, whether 
provided by a utility or an independent power producer.

(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications 
Committee)



AB 1202 (Woods-R) - Public Utilities:  Electrical Generation

Mandates the establishment of a renewables portfolio standard 
and a biomass portfolio standard.  Also mandates that the state's 
utilities and self generators purchase a percentage of 1993 levels 
of electricity supply from renewable resource electricity 
generators; creates a misdemeanor for noncompliance, assigns 
governance duties to the California Energy Commission and 
assigns reporting requirements.  Calls for an equitable allocation 
of the charge for these resources on the distribution system.

(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications 
Committee)



AB 1359 (Knowles-R) - Public Utilities:  Construction

Authorizes the creation of a joint powers authority to participate 
in the construction of a facility on the North Fork of the American 
River at the El Dorado/Placer County line if the U.S. Congress 
authorizes the construction of the facility.

(Died in Senate Rules Committee)



AB 1588 (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities Act:  Telecommunications 
Services

Permits the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to exempt the 
smaller local telephone companies from the goal of opening all 
telecommunications markets to competition by January 1, 1997.  
Also permits the PUC to delay the completion of the rules 
facilitating competition for the smaller local telephone companies 
until January 1, 1998.

(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications 
Committee)


AB 1683* (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities:  Carriers

Transfers existing transportation safety programs from the Public 
Utilities Commission (PUC) to the Department of Motor Vehicles 
and the California Highway Patrol.  Affects only programs related 
to motor carriers of property.  Imposes a different fee structure 
than the current structure utilized by the PUC and provides for 
penalties more severe than in current law.  Also makes 
conforming changes in recognition of recent federal law 
preempting rate regulation of motor carriers of property.

Chapter 1042, Statutes of 1996 



AB 1768 (Martinez-D) - Public Utilities Commission:  Reports

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to submit to the 
Legislature a report of all of the commission's transactions and 
proceedings for the preceding fiscal year, along with suggestions 
and recommendations it deems of value, by December 1 of each 
year.  (This is the same report sent to the Governor each year.)

(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications 
Committee)



AB 1770* (Brewer-R) -  Public Utilities:  Services to Tenants

Establishes a utility deposit system for municipally-owned and 
special service district utilities and prohibits the specified utilities 
from seeking recovery for unpaid accounts from the property 
owners, except as permitted by local ordinance.

Chapter 24, Statutes of 1996 



AB 1890* (Brulte-R) - Electric Industry Restructuring

Provides the legislative foundation for transforming the 
regulatory framework of California's electric industry.  Creates a 
new electricity market structure, ending the utility monopoly on 
generation and opening the generation market to competition, so 
that retail customers could choose among alternative electric 
energy suppliers.  Provides that the transmission and distribution 
of electric energy would continue to be regulated monopoly 
services.

Addresses key issues in the transition from the current regulatory 
framework to a competitive market structure:  (1) how to handle 
the recovery of transition costs, (2) how the new market structure 
should be organized, (3) how system reliability should be ensured, 
(4) how the funding of current public purpose programs should be 
continued, and (5) how consumers should be protected in the new 
electricity market.

Chapter 854, Statutes of 1996 



AB 1914 (Escutia-D) - Public Utilities:  Gas Corporations

Requires gas corporations that own facilities used to deliver 
natural gas to any school operating in California to inspect the 
facilities at least once a year.

Vetoed by the Governor 



AB 1953* (Baldwin-R) - Nonprofit Organizations:  Use of Beaches; 
Carrier Exemption

Prevents (1) local and state agencies from charging youth groups 
and camps a special group fee in order to use public beaches and 
recreation areas, and (2) prevents transportation services 
provided by youth groups and camps for their youth activities 
from being regulated by the Public Utilities Commission.

Vetoed by the Governor 



AB 2064* (Bordonaro-R) - Emergencies:  Nuclear Radiation

Makes a timing adjustment to the funding cycle for Diablo 
Canyon established in the Radiation Protection Act of 1988 (as 
amended in 1993).  The funding amount is not affected by the bill.  
Moves the funding schedule for Diablo Canyon forward 1 year so 
that the funding corresponds with the timing of federally-required 
emergency response exercises.

Chapter 577, Statutes of 1996 



AB 2075 (Hannigan-D) - Cellular Radio Telephone Service:  
Emergency Calls

Requires cellular telephone companies, consistent with Federal 
Communications Commission guidelines, to provide location 
technologies to public safety answering points on all 911 calls.  
Requires the Department of General Services to conduct tests of 
location technologies at several locations, including Yolo County 
and its adjoining regions.

(Failed passage in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)



AB 2203 (Rainey-R) - East Bay Municipal Utility District

Authorizes the East Bay Municipal Utility District to impose 
rates on a tiered or differential basis.

(Failed passage on Assembly Floor)



AB 2249* (Cannella-D) - Electrical Restructuring

Establishes all the conditions necessary to allow direct access on 
an interim basis by January 1, 1997.  Requires electric 
corporations to make available an interim direct access option for 
the transmission and distribution services for electricity 
purchased by consumers who meet required elements, as 
specified.

(Failed passage in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)



AB 2311 (Bustamante-D) - Utilities Programs:  Effect of Electrical 
Restructuring

Requires a number of existing statutory public policy programs 
related to electricity rates to remain effective if the electric 
industry is restructured.

(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications 
Committee)



AB 2430 (Hauser-D) - Public Utilities:  Propane

Brings state law into compliance with federal law by including 
particular types of propane distribution systems under the 
propane safety inspection program currently administered by the 
Public Utilities Commission.  Streamlines the administration of 
the propane safety inspection program by removing the State 
Board of Equalization from the program.  Also caps the fee which 
the owners of the propane distribution systems pay for this safety 
program at $0.25/month/space.

Chapter 651, Statutes of 1996 



AB 2444 (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities:  Regulation

Makes the Public Utilities Commission a statutory agency, rather 
than a constitutional agency.  

(Died in Conference Committee)



AB 2501 (Kuykendall-R) - Public Utilities:  Exempt Wholesale 
Generators

Exempts Federal Energy Regulatory Commission-regulated 
wholesale electricity generators from Public Utilities Commission 
jurisdiction, and defines "exempt wholesale generators," for this 
purpose, as they are defined under federal law.

Chapter 853, Statutes of 1996 



AB 2549 (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities Commission

Prohibits the President of the Public Utilities Commission from 
serving consecutive 1-year terms.

(Died in Conference Committee)



AB 2589 (Battin-R) - Public Utilities:  Baseline Rates

Authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to consider alternate 
rate design proposals for the purpose of establishing an 
experimental rate design to provide rate relief for residential 
customers in Climate Zone 15 (generally the Coachella Valley 
area).

Chapter 848, Statutes of 1996 



AB 2597 (Alby-R) - Public Utilities:  Electricity

Prevents both investor-owned and municipal utilities from 
providing power to retail customers in each other's service area 
without having their customers first enter into a contract for 
competition transition charge (CTC) payment.  Provides for the 
auditing of the costs in any CTC by a 3rd party.  Requires rates of 
return for municipal utilities to be set no higher than those 
permitted investor-owned utilities.

(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications 
Committee)



AB 2610 (Morrissey-R) - Public Utilities:  Electric Generation

Requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to study the 
possible effects of divestiture on the availability of adequate 
generation.  Requires that before the independent system 
operator and power exchange begin operation under the 
restructuring, the PUC adopt findings that adequate electric 
generation capacity will be available.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)



AB 2657 (Kaloogian-R) - Coin-Activated Telephones:  
Reimbursement for Use

Requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to fix the amount 
of fair compensation to pay phone providers for each and every 
completed intrastate call placed from any pay phone located in 
this state not paid for by the deposit of coins.  Requires pay phone 
providers to register with the PUC and pay a $25 fee.

(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications 
Committee)



AB 2712 (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities:  Telecommunications

Conforms California law to the federal Telecommunications Act 
by requiring the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to conform its 
rules, practices, and procedures with the federal law, as 
prescribed in the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-104), 
wherever the federal law preempts.  Wherever federal law does 
not expressly preempt, requires the PUC to continue to transition 
the telecommunications industry to open competition.

(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)



AB 2713 (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities:  Enforcement Actions

Expands the Public Utilities Commission's (PUC) investigative 
and enforcement powers to (1) give PUC investigators access to 
state summary criminal information, and (2) to specifically 
authorize PUC to order termination of telephone services to 
unlicensed household goods carriers.

Chapter 1065, Statutes of 1996 



AB 2875 (Vasconcellos-D) - Telecommunications

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to investigate the 
ability of telephone companies to provide and tariff multiple line 
Integrated Services Digital Network service in this state, and to 
report its findings to the Assembly Utilities and Commerce 
Committee and the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications 
Committee, by June 1, 1997.

(Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)



AB 2885 (Brulte-R) - Electrical Industry Restructuring

Establishes a Public Utilities Commission permitting procedure 
for the aggregation of electric customers served by investor-owned 
utilities and allows public entities to act as aggregators for 
purchasing electrical power for customers within its jurisdictional 
boundaries.

(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications 
Committee)



AB 2940 (Brulte-R) - Electrical Industry Restructuring

Requires the Public Utilities Commission to take specified actions 
to facilitate the state's effort to implement electrical 
restructuring.

(Died on Assembly Inactive File)



AB 3152 (Martinez-D) - Telephones

Extends, for 4 years, the sunset on an existing program to help 
deaf customers use the telephone.  Also requires the Public 
Utilities Commission to administer a program to make 
telecommunications devices capable of servicing the needs of the 
deaf available in public spaces.  Funding for this program is 
through a surcharge not exceeding 0.02% on the telephone bill.

Chapter 779, Statutes of 1996 



AB 3153 (Aguiar-R) - Electricity Rates

Extends the existing January 1, 1999 sunset for the industrial 
customer interruptible rate program until March 31, 2002, and 
clarifies that these rates should not rise above June 10, 1996 
levels until March 31, 2002.

Chapter 780, Statutes of 1996 



AB 3155 (Martinez-D) - Public Utilities:  Rights

Provides that public utilities and other service suppliers shall not 
be liable for collecting, validating, or refunding taxes imposed by 
another public entity.  Grants rights and imposes duties for the 
imposition, repeal, or collection of taxes.  Provides that a utility is 
not liable (is held harmless) to any customer for collecting taxes 
on behalf of a tax imposed on local government and it is not 
responsible for investigating the validity of a tax or assisting in 
the refunding of an improperly imposed tax. 

Chapter 939, Statutes of 1996 



AB 3264 (Aguiar-R) - Electricity Rates

Extends the January 1, 1999 sunset for the industrial customer 
interruptible rate program until the completion of the phase-in of 
direct access in the Public Utilities Commission's December 20, 
1996 decision.

(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications 
Committee)



AB 3306* (Brulte-R) - Electrical Industry Restructuring

Provides that public utilities and other service suppliers shall not 
be liable for collecting, validating, or refunding taxes imposed by 
another public entity.  Grants rights and imposes duties for the 
imposition, repeal, or collection of taxes.  Provides that a utility is 
not liable (is held harmless) to any customer for collecting taxes 
on behalf of a tax imposed on local government and it is not 
responsible for investigating the validity of a tax or assisting in 
the refunding of an improperly imposed tax. 

(Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications 
Committee)