California Assembly Bill AB2218 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2218AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 24, 2014 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 10, 2014 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Bradford FEBRUARY 20, 2014 An act to add Section 739.3 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to energy. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2218, as amended, Bradford. Electricity and natural gas rates. Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations, as defined. 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 establish a program of assistance to low-income electric and gas customers, referred to as the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) program. This bill would require  each  electrical  corporations   corporation  and gas  corporations   corporation  to develop and implement a program of rate assistance to eligible food banks, as defined, subject to direction and supervision by the commission. 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. Because the provisions of this bill would be a part of the act and because a violation of an order or decision of the commission implementing its requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program by creating a new crime. 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. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 739.3 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read: 739.3. Subject to direction and supervision by the commission,  each  electrical  corporations   corporation  and gas  corporations   corporation  shall develop and implement a program of rate assistance to eligible food banks.  The funding source for the rate assistance   program is subject to the approval of the commission.  For purposes of this section, "eligible food bank" means a public or charitable institution that participates in The Emergency Food Assistance Program administered by the Food and Nutrition Service of the United States Department of Agriculture. SEC. 2. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII 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 B of the California Constitution.