Title PUC, California Pub. Util. Code

Through compliance with the provisions for annexation set forth in Chapter 9 of this part, the territory of all or any of the Counties of Napa, Santa Clara, Solano, or Sonoma may be included within the district. (Added by Stats. 1957, Ch. 1056.)

The membership of the Public Utilities Commission, and the qualifications and tenure of the members of the commission are as provided in Section 1 of Article XII of the Constitution of this state. (Amended by Stats. 1974, Ch. 489.)

There is hereby created the Southern California Rapid Transit District, comprising that territory hereinafter described in this section lying within the boundaries of the County of Los Angeles and such territory in the County of Los Angeles and in other counties as may be hereaft…

The district created in accordance with the provisions of this part is a public corporation created for the purposes set forth in this part. (Added by Stats. 1964, 1st Ex. Sess., Ch. 62.)

Each commissioner shall, before entering upon the duties of his office, take and subscribe the constitutional oath of office. (Enacted by Stats. 1951, Ch. 764.)

(a) A public utilities commissioner may not hold an official relation to, nor have a financial interest in, a person or corporation subject to regulation by the commission. If any commissioner acquires a financial interest in a corporation or person subject to regulation by the c…

The annual salary of each commissioner is provided for by Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 11550) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. The commissioners shall be civil executive officers, and their salaries as fixed by law shall be paid in the same manner …

The Governor shall designate a president of the commission from among the members of the commission. The president shall direct the executive director, the attorney, and other staff of the commission, except for the staff of the Public Advocate’s Office of the Public Utilities Co…

(a) The office of the commission shall be in the City and County of San Francisco. The office shall always be open, legal holidays and nonjudicial days excepted. The commission shall hold its sessions at least once in each calendar month. The commission may also meet at such othe…

(a) The commission may appoint as attorney to the commission an attorney at law of this state, who shall hold office during the pleasure of the commission. (b) The attorney shall represent and appear for the people of the State of California and the commission in all actions and …

There is within the legal division of the commission an ethics officer who shall be designated by the general counsel. The ethics officer shall be responsible for both of the following: (a) Instituting a program of enhanced ethics training for all commissioners and employees of t…

(a) The commission shall appoint a chief administrative law judge, who shall hold office at the pleasure of the commission. (b) The chief administrative law judge shall be responsible for the oversight of the administrative law judge division and shall organize, coordinate, super…

(a) The commission shall appoint a chief internal auditor, who shall hold office at the pleasure of the commission. (b) The chief internal auditor shall be responsible for the oversight of the internal audit unit and shall plan, initiate, and perform audits of key financial, mana…

(a) The commission shall appoint an executive director, who shall hold office during its pleasure. The executive director shall be responsible for the commission’s executive and administrative duties and shall organize, coordinate, supervise, and direct the operations and affairs…

Persons employed as investigators and investigator supervisors by the commission, who are designated by the commission’s executive director and approved by the commission, have the authority of peace officers, as specified in paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 830.11 of …

(a) The executive director may employ such officers, administrative law judges, experts, engineers, statisticians, accountants, inspectors, clerks, and employees as the executive director deems necessary to carry out the provisions of this part or to perform the duties and exerci…

The Governor may appoint one adviser for each member of the commission upon the request of the commission member. Each adviser shall receive a salary fixed by the commission with the approval of the Department of Human Resources. The total number of advisers exempt from civil ser…

(a) There is within the commission an independent Public Advocate’s Office of the Public Utilities Commission to represent and advocate on behalf of the interests of public utility customers and subscribers within the jurisdiction of the commission. The goal of the office shall b…

(a) The commission shall adopt procedures on the disqualification of commissioners and administrative law judges due to bias or prejudice similar to those of other state agencies and superior courts. (b) (1) For ratesetting and adjudicatory proceedings, a commissioner or administ…

(a) The division of the commission responsible for railroad safety shall be responsible for inspection, surveillance, and investigation of the rights-of-way, facilities, equipment, and operations of railroads and public mass transit guideways, and for enforcing state and federal …

No vacancy in the commission impairs the right of the remaining commissioners to exercise all the powers of the commission. A majority of the commissioners constitutes a quorum for the transaction of any business, for the performance of any duty, or for the exercise of any power …

(a) The commission, each commissioner, the executive director, and the assistant executive directors may administer oaths, certify to all official acts, and issue subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses and the production of papers, waybills, books, accounts, documents, and tes…

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the commission shall not consider or require, in determining qualified bidders for, or in awarding contracts, that any facilities be located within a particular area of the state, or within geographical proximity of any particular area …

The commission shall adopt procedures authorizing the submittal of electronic signatures and documents by all parties on contracts involving the commission. (Added by Stats. 2016, Ch. 334, Sec. 1. (AB 2746) Effective January 1, 2017.)

(a) On or after July 1, 2001, the commission shall establish procedures to permit the submission of informal complaints through electronic means in accordance with this section. (b) On or before January 1, 2002, the commission shall provide on its Internet Web site the means by w…

(a) (1) Prior to commencement of any meeting at which commissioners vote on items on the public agenda, the commission shall make available to the public copies of the agenda, and upon request, any agenda item documents that are proposed to be considered by the commission for act…

The commission and each commissioner may issue writs of summons, subpenas, warrants of attachment, warrants of commitment, and all necessary process in proceedings for contempt, in like manner and to the same extent as courts of record. The process issued by the commission or any…

The commission may require, by order served on any public utility, the production within this State at such time and place as it designates, of any books, accounts, papers, or records kept by the public utility in any office or place without this State, or, at its option, verifie…

(a) The commission, each commissioner, and each officer and person employed by the commission may, at any time, inspect the accounts, books, papers, and documents of any public utility. The commission, each commissioner, and any officer of the commission or any employee authorize…

(a) (1) The commission shall apply a risk-based methodology to conduct audits or reviews of the books and records of electrical, gas, telephone, water, and sewer corporations. (2) The commission shall conduct a review or audit of the books and records of every electrical or gas c…

(a) The commission may conduct financial and performance reviews or audits of any entity or program created by any order, decision, motion, settlement, or other action of the commission. (b) The commission shall complete any review or audit in a timely manner consistent with appl…

The commission shall investigate the cause of all accidents occurring within this State upon the property of any public utility or directly or indirectly arising from or connected with its maintenance or operation, resulting in loss of life or injury to person or property and req…

(a) Each electrical corporation shall cooperate fully with the commission in an investigation into any major accident or any reportable incident, as these terms are defined by the commission, concerning overhead electric supply facilities, regardless of pending litigation or othe…

The commission may request the local agency formation commission to advise it as to any special districts as defined in Section 54775 of the Government Code who are authorized and capable of performing comparable utility service within an area for which a public utility is seekin…

The Legislature hereby declares that it is the policy of this state to achieve, whenever feasible and not inconsistent with sound environmental planning, the undergrounding of all future electric and communication distribution facilities which are proposed to be erected in proxim…

(a) The commission shall appoint a public advisor and establish an office of the public advisor, including a separate office in the Los Angeles office of the commission. The commission may employ staff as necessary to carry out the duties of the office of the public advisor. The …

(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the commission assess the consequences of its decisions, including economic effects, and assess and mitigate the impacts of its decision on customer, public, and employee safety, as part of each ratemaking, rulemaking, or other proceed…

The president of the commission shall annually appear before the appropriate policy committees of the Senate and Assembly to present the annual report of the commission required pursuant to Section 910. (Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 612, Sec. 6. (SB 697) Effective January 1, 2016.…

(a) The commission shall periodically, at least once each year, compile its rules of procedure together with every order and decision of the commission relating to the conduct of the commission’s hearings and proceedings. (b) The compilation shall include, but not be limited to, …

The commission shall determine, as part of the proceeding in Rulemaking 98-07-038 (Rulemaking for purposes of Revising General Order 96-A Regarding Informal Filings at the Commission) or any other appropriate proceeding, as determined by the commission, the feasibility of submitt…

(a) Commencing January 1, 1989, the commission shall cause the complete text of each of its orders and decisions to be published within a reasonable time, not to exceed one year after issuance. The commission shall, on or before January 1, 1990, publish every significant decision…

(a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings: (1) “Demand-side energy management programs” mean all energy efficiency, demand-side response, clean distributed generation, energy conservation, energy savings, or weatherization programs of t…

The executive director of the commission may release to the Director of Industrial Relations any information concerning any person, corporation, or other entity under the jurisdiction and control of the commission relevant to the enforcement of the workers’ compensation laws of t…

(a) The Public Utilities Commission shall publish any data it collects for its clearinghouse minority and women business data base that it deems to be nonconfidential, including, but not limited to, company name, address, telephone number, fax number, point of contact, federal St…

No less frequently than once a year, the commission shall make the following information about each contract that the commission enters into available free of charge on its Internet Web site: (a) The names, addresses, and points of contact of the parties to the contract. (b) The …

The commission shall make available on its Internet Web site audits conducted by the Department of General Services of the commission’s contracting practices. (Added by Stats. 2016, Ch. 815, Sec. 3. (AB 1651) Effective January 1, 2017.)