California 2011-2012 Regular Session Status: Passed Senate

SB 939 — Natural gas surcharge.

Last action — Set, second hearing. Held in committee and under submission.

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

This bill died with 2011-2012 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Senate” 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This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis.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

Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish a surcharge on all natural gas consumed in the state to fund certain low-income assistance programs, cost-effective energy efficiency and conservation activities, and public interest research and development. Existing law requires a public utility gas corporation, as defined, to collect the surcharge from natural gas consumers, as specified, and to remit the moneys collected to the State Board of Equalization (state board) on a quarterly basis. Existing law requires persons consuming natural gas delivered by an interstate pipeline to pay the surcharge to the state board. Existing law requires every public utility gas corporation and every person consuming natural gas transported by a provider other than the public utility gas corporation to file a quarterly return with the state board in the form prescribed by the state board. The money from the surcharge is transmitted by the state board to the Treasurer for deposit in the Gas Consumption Surcharge Fund and is continuously appropriated to specified entities, including to the commission, or to an entity designated by the commission, to fund low-income assistance programs, cost-effective energy efficiency and conservation activities, and public interest research and development not adequately provided by the competitive and regulated markets. This bill would require the commission to establish rates that are sufficient to fund the specified low-income assistance programs, cost-effective energy efficiency and conservation activities, and public interest research and development, and would require the surcharges imposed on natural gas customers of an interstate gas pipeline to be equal to the rate component imposed upon the customers of a public utility gas corporation to fund those programs. The bill would require only persons consuming natural gas delivered by an interstate pipeline to pay the surcharge quarterly to the state board and require only those persons consuming natural gas transported by a provider other than the public utility gas corporation to file a quarterly return with the state board. A public utility gas corporation would continue to collect the surcharge to fund the specified programs, but would not remit the moneys collected to the state board. The bill would repeal existing provisions relieving public utility gas corporations from liability to collect the surcharges for specified uncollected and worthless accounts. The bill would make other conforming changes.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Set, second hearing. Held in committee and under submission.

  2. Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  3. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  4. (Report received July 8 pursuant to J.R. 61(a)(10).)

  5. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (July 5). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  6. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on U. & C.

  7. From committee: Be re-referred to Com. on U. & C. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (June 27). Re-referred to Com. on U. & C.

  8. Hearing postponed by committee.

  9. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

  10. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on G.O.

  11. Referred to Com. on G.O.

  12. In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  13. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 988.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  14. Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.

  15. From committee: Do pass. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 11. Noes 0. Page 931.) (May 10).

  16. Set for hearing May 10.

  17. Referred to Com. on G.O.

  18. From printer. May be acted upon on or after April 21.

  19. Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Sponsors

  • Wright · Primary

Sponsorship breakdown

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

Sponsors (1)

  • Wright

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

Do pass and re-refer to Committee on Appropriations with recommendation: To Consent Calendar.

Passed 12 Yea · 0 Nay · 3 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 12003
Total 12003
% of votes cast 80%0%0%20%
How each member voted (15)
Member Party Vote
Furutani — Yea
Fletcher — Yea
Fong — Yea
Knight — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Swanson — Not Voting
Valadao — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Buchanan — Yea
Huffman — Yea
Ma — Not Voting
Nestande — Yea
Fuentes — Not Voting
Beth Gaines — Yea
Roger Hernández — Yea

Official roll call →

Be referred to Committee on Utilities and Commerce.

Passed 11 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 11000
Total 11000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (11)
Member Party Vote
Hagman — Yea
Carter — Yea
Hueso — Yea
Knight — Yea
Silva — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Donnelly — Yea
Williams — Yea
Alejo — Yea
Butler — Yea
Davis — Yea

Official roll call →

Consent Calendar 2nd SB939 Committee on G.O.

Passed 37 Yea · 0 Nay · 3 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 35002
Democratic 2000
Republican 0001
Total 37003
% of votes cast 93%0%0%8%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Yee — Yea
Hancock — Yea
Harman — Yea
Runner — Yea
Blakeslee — Yea
Lieu — Yea
Wolk — Yea
Wyland — Not Voting
Lowenthal — Yea
De León — Yea
Negrete McLeod — Yea
Rubio — Yea
Cannella — Yea
Evans — Yea
Fuller — Yea
Kehoe — Yea
Leno — Yea
Alquist — Yea
Anderson — Yea
Corbett — Yea
Dutton — Yea
Liu — Yea
Pavley — Yea
Price — Yea
Simitian — Yea
Steinberg — Yea
Vargas — Yea
Walters — Not Voting
Wright — Yea
Hernandez — Yea
Huff — Yea
Emmerson — Yea
Correa — Yea
DeSaulnier — Yea
Beth Gaines — Yea
Bill Berryhill — Yea
La Malfa — Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Padilla, Stephen C. Democratic Yea
Strickland, Tony Republican Not Voting

Official roll call →

Do pass and be placed on the Consent Calendar.

Passed 11 Yea · 0 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 9001
Republican 1000
Democratic 1001
Total 11002
% of votes cast 85%0%0%15%
How each member voted (13)
Member Party Vote
Yee — Not Voting
De León — Yea
Hernandez — Yea
Anderson — Yea
Cannella — Yea
Corbett — Yea
Wright — Yea
Wyland — Yea
Evans — Yea
Bill Berryhill — Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Not Voting
Padilla, Stephen C. Democratic Yea
Strickland, Tony Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety energy
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 SB 939 do?
Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish a surcharge on all natural gas consumed in the state to fund certain low-income assistance programs, cost-effective energy efficiency and conservation activities, and public interest research and development. Existing law requires a public utility gas corporation, as defined, to collect the surcharge from natural gas consumers, as specified, and to remit the moneys collected to the State Board of Equalization (state board) on a quarterly basis. Existing law requires persons consuming natural gas delivered by an interstate pipeline to pay the surcharge to the state board. Existing law requires every public utility gas corporation and every person consuming natural gas transported by a provider other than the public utility gas corporation to file a quarterly return with the state board in the form prescribed by the state board. The money from the surcharge is transmitted by the state board to the Treasurer for deposit in the Gas Consumption Surcharge Fund and is continuously appropriated to specified entities, including to the commission, or to an entity designated by the commission, to fund low-income assistance programs, cost-effective energy efficiency and conservation activities, and public interest research and development not adequately provided by the competitive and regulated markets. This bill would require the commission to establish rates that are sufficient to fund the specified low-income assistance programs, cost-effective energy efficiency and conservation activities, and public interest research and development, and would require the surcharges imposed on natural gas customers of an interstate gas pipeline to be equal to the rate component imposed upon the customers of a public utility gas corporation to fund those programs. The bill would require only persons consuming natural gas delivered by an interstate pipeline to pay the surcharge quarterly to the state board and require only those persons consuming natural gas transported by a provider other than the public utility gas corporation to file a quarterly return with the state board. A public utility gas corporation would continue to collect the surcharge to fund the specified programs, but would not remit the moneys collected to the state board. The bill would repeal existing provisions relieving public utility gas corporations from liability to collect the surcharges for specified uncollected and worthless accounts. The bill would make other conforming changes.
Who sponsors SB 939?
SB 939 is sponsored by Wright.
What is the current status of SB 939?
This bill died with 2011-2012 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Senate” 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 SB 939?
Track SB 939 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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