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Measure AB 99
Authors Ta  
Subject Electrical corporations: rates.
Relating To relating to electricity.
Title An act to add Section 748.3 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to electricity.
Last Action Dt 2025-03-28
State Amended Assembly
Status In Committee Process
Active? Y
Vote Required Majority
Appropriation No
Fiscal Committee Yes
Local Program Yes
Substantive Changes None
Urgency No
Tax Levy No
Leginfo Link Bill
Actions
2025-05-23     In committee: Held under submission.
2025-04-30     In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.
2025-04-23     In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
2025-04-01     Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-03-28     Read second time and amended.
2025-03-27     From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 1.) (March 26).
2025-02-03     Referred to Com. on U. & E.
2025-01-09     From printer. May be heard in committee February 8.
2025-01-08     Read first time. To print.
Keywords
Tags
Versions
Amended Assembly     2025-03-28
Introduced     2025-01-08
Last Version Text
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				<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
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		<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Ta</ns0:AuthorText>
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		<ns0:Title> An act to add Section 748.3 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to electricity.</ns0:Title>
		<ns0:RelatingClause>electricity</ns0:RelatingClause>
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			<ns0:Subject>Electrical corporations: rates.</ns0:Subject>
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			<html:p>Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. 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.</html:p>
			<html:p>This bill would prohibit an electrical corporation from proposing a rate increase above the rate of inflation,
			 as defined, as a systemwide average for any general rate case cycle, except the bill would expressly authorize the commission to approve a rate increase above the rate of inflation if the commission determines that the costs underlying the rate increase are directly related to safety enhancements and modernization or to higher commodity or fuel costs.</html:p>
			<html:p>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.</html:p>
			<html:p>Because the above prohibition would be a part of the act, and because a violation of a commission action implementing the above prohibition would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.</html:p>
			<html:p>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.</html:p>
			<html:p>This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.</html:p>
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		<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
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			<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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				Section 748.3 is added to the 
				<ns0:DocName>Public Utilities Code</ns0:DocName>
				, to read:
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					<ns0:Num>748.3.</ns0:Num>
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								(a)
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								An electrical corporation shall not propose a rate increase above the rate of inflation, as a systemwide average, for any general rate case cycle.
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								(b)
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								Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the commission may approve a rate increase above the rate of inflation if the commission determines that the costs underlying the rate increase are directly related to safety enhancements and modernization or to higher commodity or fuel costs.
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								(c)
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								For purposes of this section, “rate of inflation” means the annual increase in the California Consumer Price Index.
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					No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII
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					B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII
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					B of the California Constitution.
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Last Version Text Digest Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. 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. This bill would prohibit an electrical corporation from proposing a rate increase above the rate of inflation, as defined, as a systemwide average for any general rate case cycle, except the bill would expressly authorize the commission to approve a rate increase above the rate of inflation if the commission determines that the costs underlying the rate increase are directly related to safety enhancements and modernization or to higher commodity or fuel costs. 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.