California 2011-2012 Regular Session Status: Passed Assembly

AB 1541 — Public Utilities Commission: public records.

Last action — In committee: Held under submission.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Assembly
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 2011-2012 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Assembly” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

(1) Existing law, the California Public Records Act, requires any public record of a state or local agency to be open to inspection at all times during office hours of the agency and, upon request, a copy shall be made promptly available to any person upon payment of copying costs. The act makes certain records exempt from disclosure. Existing law provides the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities and authorizes it to establish its own procedures, subject to statutory limitations and constitutional requirements of due process. The Public Utilities Act requires the commission to investigate the cause of all accidents occurring 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 requiring, in the judgment of the commission, investigation by it, and authorizes the commission to make any order or recommendation with respect to the investigation that it determines to be just and reasonable. This bill would subject to the California Public Records Act, except as specified, an order or recommendation made by the commission and any accident report filed with the commission pursuant to these requirements. (2) The Public Utilities Act prohibits the commission or an officer or employee of the commission from disclosing any information furnished to the commission by a public utility, a subsidiary, an affiliate, or corporation holding a controlling interest in a public utility, unless the information is specifically required to be open to public inspection under the act, except on order of the commission or a commissioner in the course of a hearing or proceeding. A violation of that provision is a crime. This bill would repeal that provision and instead provide that all records of, or information furnished to, the commission are public records that shall be subject to the California Public Records Act, unless exempted from disclosure by that act. The bill would provide that any present or former officer or employee of the commission who divulges any information the disclosure of which is exempted or prohibited pursuant to federal or state law is guilty of a misdemeanor. By expanding the scope of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) 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.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. In committee: Held under submission.

  2. In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  3. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  4. From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 4. Noes 0.) (July 3).

  5. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 10. Noes 2.) (June 25). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  6. In committee: Set, second hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

  7. In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

  8. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on E., U. & C.

  9. Referred to Coms. on E., U. & C. and JUD.

  10. In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

  11. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 4827.)

  12. Ordered to third reading.

  13. From consent calendar.

  14. Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.

  15. From committee: Do pass. To consent calendar. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (May 2).

  16. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (April 18). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  17. Re-referred to Com. on G.O.

  18. Read second time and amended.

  19. From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on G.O. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (April 9).

  20. Referred to Coms. on U. & C. and G.O.

  21. From printer. May be heard in committee February 24.

  22. Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

  • Dickinson · Primary

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 121 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

  • Dickinson

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (121)

121 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 121 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Placed on Appropriations Suspense file.

Passed 7 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 7000
Total 7000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (7)
Member Party Vote
Kehoe — Yea
Dutton — Yea
Lieu — Yea
Steinberg — Yea
Alquist — Yea
Price — Yea
Walters — Yea

Official roll call →

Do pass, but re-refer to the Committee on Judiciary.

Passed 10 Yea · 2 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 9200
Republican 0001
Democratic 1000
Total 10201
% of votes cast 77%15%0%8%
How each member voted (13)
Member Party Vote
Fuller — Yea
Rubio — Yea
De León — Yea
Kehoe — Nay
Corbett — Yea
Simitian — Nay
Pavley — Yea
Wright — Yea
Emmerson — Yea
DeSaulnier — Yea
Bill Berryhill — Yea
Padilla, Stephen C. Democratic Yea
Strickland, Tony Republican Not Voting

Official roll call →

AB 1541 DICKINSON Assembly Third Reading

Passed 76 Yea · 0 Nay · 4 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 73004
Republican 2000
Democratic 1000
Total 76004
% of votes cast 95%0%0%5%
How each member voted (80)
Member Party Vote
Hagman — Yea
Butler — Yea
Feuer — Yea
Gorell — Yea
Carter — Yea
Hill — Yea
Fong — Yea
Cedillo — Yea
Allen — Yea
Olsen — Yea
Alejo — Yea
Cook — Yea
Wagner — Yea
Williams — Yea
Yamada — Yea
Furutani — Yea
Campos — Yea
Portantino — Yea
John A. Pérez — Yea
Mitchell — Yea
Garrick — Yea
Gatto — Yea
Gordon — Yea
Chesbro — Yea
Bonilla — Yea
Halderman — Yea
Hall — Yea
Atkins — Not Voting
Fletcher — Not Voting
Davis — Yea
Harkey — Yea
Hayashi — Yea
Beall — Yea
Dickinson — Yea
Donnelly — Yea
Hueso — Yea
Huffman — Yea
Knight — Yea
Lara — Yea
Mendoza — Yea
Miller — Yea
Monning — Yea
Nielsen — Yea
Norby — Yea
Pan — Yea
Silva — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Smyth — Yea
Torres — Yea
Valadao — Not Voting
Achadjian — Yea
Ammiano — Yea
Block — Yea
Blumenfield — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Brownley — Yea
Buchanan — Yea
Huber — Yea
Jeffries — Yea
Logue — Yea
Ma — Yea
Mansoor — Yea
Morrell — Yea
Nestande — Yea
Perea — Not Voting
Solorio — Yea
Swanson — Yea
Wieckowski — Yea
Conway — Yea
Eng — Yea
Fuentes — Yea
Galgiani — Yea
Beth Gaines — Yea
Bill Berryhill — Yea
Bonnie Lowenthal — Yea
Roger Hernández — Yea
V. Manuel Pérez — Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Grove, Shannon Republican Yea
Jones, Brian W. Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Do pass, to Consent Calendar.

Passed 17 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 16000
Democratic 1000
Total 17000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (17)
Member Party Vote
Fuentes — Yea
Mitchell — Yea
Campos — Yea
Hall — Yea
Harkey — Yea
Hill — Yea
Davis — Yea
Donnelly — Yea
Nielsen — Yea
Norby — Yea
Wagner — Yea
Blumenfield — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Lara — Yea
Solorio — Yea
Gatto — Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea

Official roll call →

Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

Passed 16 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 15001
Republican 1000
Total 16001
% of votes cast 94%0%0%6%
How each member voted (17)
Member Party Vote
Hall — Yea
Atkins — Yea
Garrick — Yea
Gatto — Yea
Chesbro — Yea
Cook — Yea
Ma — Yea
Nestande — Yea
Perea — Yea
Silva — Yea
Block — Yea
Blumenfield — Yea
Hill — Yea
Torres — Yea
Galgiani — Not Voting
V. Manuel Pérez — Yea
Jones, Brian W. Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on Governmental Organization.

Passed 14 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 14001
Total 14001
% of votes cast 93%0%0%7%
How each member voted (15)
Member Party Vote
Fletcher — Yea
Fong — Yea
Fuentes — Yea
Gorell — Yea
Knight — Not Voting
Ma — Yea
Valadao — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Buchanan — Yea
Huffman — Yea
Nestande — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Swanson — Yea
Furutani — Yea
Roger Hernández — Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety civil-rights
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does AB 1541 do?
(1) Existing law, the California Public Records Act, requires any public record of a state or local agency to be open to inspection at all times during office hours of the agency and, upon request, a copy shall be made promptly available to any person upon payment of copying costs. The act makes certain records exempt from disclosure. Existing law provides the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities and authorizes it to establish its own procedures, subject to statutory limitations and constitutional requirements of due process. The Public Utilities Act requires the commission to investigate the cause of all accidents occurring 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 requiring, in the judgment of the commission, investigation by it, and authorizes the commission to make any order or recommendation with respect to the investigation that it determines to be just and reasonable. This bill would subject to the California Public Records Act, except as specified, an order or recommendation made by the commission and any accident report filed with the commission pursuant to these requirements. (2) The Public Utilities Act prohibits the commission or an officer or employee of the commission from disclosing any information furnished to the commission by a public utility, a subsidiary, an affiliate, or corporation holding a controlling interest in a public utility, unless the information is specifically required to be open to public inspection under the act, except on order of the commission or a commissioner in the course of a hearing or proceeding. A violation of that provision is a crime. This bill would repeal that provision and instead provide that all records of, or information furnished to, the commission are public records that shall be subject to the California Public Records Act, unless exempted from disclosure by that act. The bill would provide that any present or former officer or employee of the commission who divulges any information the disclosure of which is exempted or prohibited pursuant to federal or state law is guilty of a misdemeanor. By expanding the scope of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) 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.
Who sponsors AB 1541?
AB 1541 is sponsored by Dickinson.
What is the current status of AB 1541?
This bill died with 2011-2012 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Assembly” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track AB 1541?
Track AB 1541 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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