BILL NUMBER: AB 2769CHAPTERED BILL TEXT CHAPTER 477 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 2, 2010 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY MAY 10, 2010 INTRODUCED BY Committee on Utilities and Commerce (Fuentes (Chair), Smyth (Vice Chair), Buchanan, Carter, Fletcher, Fong, Fuller, Furutani, Huffman, Skinner, Swanson, Torrico, and Villines) FEBRUARY 25, 2010 An act to amend Section 321.6 of, and to repeal Section 1701.6 of, the Public Utilities Code, relating to the Public Utilities Commission. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2769, Committee on Utilities and Commerce. Public Utilities Commission: President. Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities and may establish its own procedures, subject to statutory limitations or directions and constitutional requirements of due process. Existing law requires the commission to develop, publish, and annually update an annual work plan access guide that describes the scheduled ratemaking proceedings and other decisions that may be considered by the commission during the calendar year, as prescribed. Existing uncodified law requires the commission to submit a report to the Legislature annually on the number of cases where resolution exceeded the time periods prescribed in scoping memos and the days that commissioners presided in hearings. Existing law requires the president of the commission to appear annually before the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature to report on the annual work plan access guide and to report on the number of cases where resolution exceeded the time periods prescribed in scoping memos and the days that commissioners presided in hearings. This bill would recast the requirement that the president of the commission appear annually before the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature to report on the annual work plan access guide and to report on the number of cases where resolution exceeded the time periods prescribed in scoping memos and the days that commissioners presided in hearings. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 321.6 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read: 321.6. (a) The commission shall do all of the following: (1) Develop, publish, and annually update an annual workplan that describes in clear detail the scheduled ratemaking proceedings and other decisions that may be considered by the commission during the calendar year. The plan shall include, but is not limited to, information on how members of the public and ratepayers can gain access to the commission's ratemaking process and information regarding the specific matters to be decided. The plan shall also include information on the operation of the office of the public adviser and identify the names and telephone numbers of those contact persons responsible for specific cases and matters to be decided. The plan shall also include a statement that specifies activities that the commission proposes to reduce the costs of, and rates for, energy, including electricity, and for improving the competitive opportunities for state agriculture and other rural energy consumers. The commission shall post the plan under the Official Documents area of its Internet Web site and shall develop a program to disseminate the information in the plan utilizing computer mailing lists to provide regular updates on the information to those members of the public and organizations which request that information. (2) Produce a complete accounting of its transactions and proceedings for the preceding year, together with other facts, suggestions, and recommendations that it deems of value to the people of the state and a statement that specifies the activities and achievements of the commission in reducing the costs of, and rates for, energy, including electricity, for state agriculture and other rural energy consumers. (3) Create a report on the number of cases where resolution exceeded the time periods prescribed in scoping memos and the days that commissioners presided in hearings. (4) Submit annually the plan, accounting, and report required by paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) to the Governor and Legislature no later than February 1 of each year. (b) The president of the commission shall annually appear before the appropriate policy committees of the Senate and Assembly to report on the annual workplan access guide of the commission required pursuant to this section. (c) The president of the commission shall annually appear before the appropriate policy committees of the Senate and Assembly to report on the annual report of the commission on the number of cases where resolution exceeded the time periods prescribed in scoping memos and the days that commissioners presided in hearings, pursuant to Section 13 of Chapter 856 of the Statutes of 1996. SEC. 2. Section 1701.6 of the Public Utilities Code is repealed.