BILL NUMBER: AB 1055INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Hill FEBRUARY 18, 2011 An act to add Section 303.5 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to the Public Utilities Commission. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1055, as introduced, Hill. Public Utilities Commission: solicitation of contributions from regulated persons or corporations. Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, as defined. Existing law prohibits a commissioner from holding an official relation to or having a financial interest in a person or corporation subject to regulation by the commission and requires the commission to adopt an updated Conflict of Interest Code and State of Incompatible Activities. This bill would prohibit a commissioner or employee of the commission from knowingly soliciting charitable, political, or other contributions from any person or corporation subject to regulation by the commission, or from any person that is representing, or regularly represents, persons or corporations regulated by the commission. The bill would additionally prohibit a commissioner or employee of the commission that is subject to the commission's Conflict of Interest Code and Statement of Incompatible Activities from knowingly serving as an officer or upon the board of any organization that solicits charitable, political, or other, contributions from any person or corporation subject to regulation by the commission, or from any person that is representing, or regularly represents, persons or corporations regulated by the commission. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 303.5 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read: 303.5. (a) A commissioner or employee of the commission shall not knowingly solicit charitable, political, or other contributions from any person or corporation subject to regulation by the commission, or from any person, including an attorney or law firm, that is representing, or regularly represents, persons or corporations regulated by the commission. (b) A commissioner or employee of the commission that is subject to the commission's Conflict of Interest Code and Statement of Incompatible Activities shall not knowingly serve as an officer or upon the board of any organization that solicits charitable, political, or other contributions from any person or corporation subject to regulation by the commission, or from any person, including an attorney or law firm, that is representing, or regularly represents, persons or corporations regulated by the commission. (c) (1) For purposes of this section, an affiliate or holding company of a public utility is a corporation subject to regulation by the commission. (2) For purposes of this section, the holder of a state franchise, as defined in Section 5830, is considered a corporation subject to regulation by the commission.