Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities. Existing law authorizes the commission to fix the rates and charges for every public utility and requires that those rates and charges be just and reasonable. Existing law requires the commission to evaluate the full effect of the enactment of federal House Resolution 1 (Public Law 115-97) upon the expenses and tax liabilities incurred by public utilities for payment of federal taxes, and, if the commission determines that the projected expenses and tax liabilities for federal taxes that the commission has authorized in the rates for a public utility are materially affected by its enactment, to adjust the rates of the public utility to reflect the changes in projected expenses and tax liabilities in light of the changes in federal law.

This bill would require the commission to evaluate the full effect of all federal legislation that becomes law, including the recent federal House Resolution 1 (Public Law 119-21), upon the expenses and tax liabilities incurred by public utilities for payment of federal taxes and, if the commission determines that the projected expenses and tax liabilities for federal taxes that the commission has authorized in the rates for a public utility are materially affected by the enactment, to adjust the rates of the public utility to reflect the changes in projected expenses and tax liabilities in light of the changes in federal law, as specified.