California 2013-2014 Regular Session Status: Enacted

SB 656 — Electrical restructuring: natural gas restructuring: information practices.

Last action — Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 604, Statutes of 2013.

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

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 22, 2013. Enacted.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 70% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 7 recorded votes so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

(1) Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has broad regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations, as defined. Existing law restructuring the electrical industry requires the commission to authorize and facilitate direct transactions between electricity suppliers and end-use customers subject to the implementation of a nonbypassable charge, as specified. Electrical restructuring requires electric service providers, which are entities that offer electrical service to customers within the service territory of an electrical corporation but which are not electrical corporations, to register with the commission and to disclose specified information, among other things and authorizes the commission to enforce specific statutes with respect to electric service providers, but does not grant the commission jurisdiction to regulate electric service providers other than as specified. Existing law restructuring the electrical industry requires the commission to compile and regularly update information regarding registered electric service providers, including the names and contact numbers of providers, information to assist consumers in making service choices, the number of customer complaints against specific providers in relation to the number of customers served by those providers, and the disposition of those complaints. In this regard, existing law requires the commission to direct the Division of Ratepayer Advocates to collect and analyze this information for purposes of preparing easily understandable informational guides or other tools to help residential and small commercial customers understand how to evaluate competing electric service options. This bill would, except for the compilation and updating of the names and contact numbers of providers, make inoperative the above provisions, except for those times in which providers are authorized to offer service to residential customers and enrollment increases at a specified level, and would make conforming changes in related provisions. The bill would repeal the requirement related to the informational guides. (2) Existing law relative to the restructuring of the natural gas industry requires the commission to require each gas corporation to provide bundled basic gas service, as defined, to all core customers in its service territory unless the customer chooses or contracts to have natural gas purchased and supplied by another entity. The Public Utilities Act establishes various consumer protection provisions relative to electrical restructuring, including the requirement that each entity, other than an electrical corporation, offering electrical service to residential and small commercial customers within the service territory of an electrical corporation register with the commission and provide specified information to the commission. A violation of the act is a crime. This bill would extend certain consumer protection provisions that are applicable to electrical restructuring to aspects of natural gas restructuring, including the requirement to register with, and provide specified information to the commission, to a core transport agent, as defined, offering gas service to customers within the service territory of a gas corporation. Because a violation of these provisions would be a crime, this 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. Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 604, Statutes of 2013.

  2. Approved by the Governor.

  3. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.

  4. Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 33. Noes 0. Page 2430.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

  5. From committee: That the Assembly amendments be concurred in. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 2452.)

  6. From committee: Be re-referred to Com. on E., U., & C. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10. (Ayes 4. Noes 0. Page 2405.) Re-referred to Com. on E., U., & C.

  7. Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10.

  8. In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  9. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 75. Noes 0. Page 3220.) Ordered to the Senate.

  10. Ordered to third reading.

  11. Read third time and amended. (Page 2957.)

  12. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  13. Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

  14. From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 30).

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

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

  17. From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (July 1).

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

  19. Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

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

  21. Referred to Com. on U. & C.

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

  23. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 943.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  24. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  25. From committee: Be placed on second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.

  26. Set for hearing May 13.

  27. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0. Page 750.) (April 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  29. Set for hearing April 30.

  30. Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

  31. Set for hearing April 16.

  32. Referred to Com. on E., U., & C.

  33. Read first time.

  34. From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 25.

  35. Introduced. 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

Unfinished Business SB656 Wright Concurrence

Passed 33 Yea · 0 Nay · 6 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 30006
Democratic 3000
Total 33006
% of votes cast 85%0%0%15%
How each member voted (39)
Member Party Vote
Anderson — Yea
Block — Yea
Hernandez — Yea
Knight — Yea
Lara — Yea
Lieu — Yea
Roth — Yea
Steinberg — Yea
Vidak — Yea
Walters — Not Voting
Wright — Yea
Emmerson — Yea
Correa — Yea
Evans — Yea
Fuller — Yea
Galgiani — Yea
Hancock — Yea
Hueso — Yea
Huff — Yea
Cannella — Yea
Leno — Yea
Liu — Yea
Nielsen — Yea
Wyland — Yea
De León — Not Voting
Corbett — Yea
Hill — Yea
Beall — Not Voting
DeSaulnier — Not Voting
Monning — Yea
Pavley — Yea
Torres — Not Voting
Wolk — Yea
Yee — Yea
Beth Gaines — Yea
Bill Berryhill — Not Voting
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Jackson, Corey A. Democratic Yea
Padilla, Stephen C. Democratic Yea

Official roll call →

From committee: That the Assembly Amendments be concurred in.

Passed 7 Yea · 0 Nay · 4 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 6004
Democratic 1000
Total 7004
% of votes cast 64%0%0%36%
How each member voted (11)
Member Party Vote
Hill — Yea
Knight — Not Voting
Pavley — Yea
Wolk — Yea
Wright — Yea
Cannella — Not Voting
Fuller — Yea
De León — Not Voting
Corbett — Yea
DeSaulnier — Not Voting
Padilla, Stephen C. Democratic Yea

Official roll call →

SB 656 Wright Senate Third Reading By BRADFORD

Passed 75 Yea · 0 Nay · 3 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 68003
Democratic 4000
Republican 3000
Total 75003
% of votes cast 96%0%0%4%
How each member voted (78)
Member Party Vote
Achadjian — Yea
Ammiano — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Brown — Yea
Buchanan — Yea
Jones-Sawyer — Yea
Linder — Yea
Mansoor — Not Voting
Nestande — Yea
Wagner — Yea
Waldron — Yea
Wieckowski — Yea
Daly — Yea
Gorell — Yea
Hagman — Yea
Allen — Yea
Lowenthal — Yea
Garcia — Yea
Gray — Yea
Atkins — Yea
Fong — Yea
Holden — Yea
Logue — Yea
Nazarian — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Mitchell — Yea
Campos — Yea
Chau — Yea
Bonilla — Yea
Frazier — Yea
Gatto — Yea
Gordon — Yea
Hall — Yea
Harkey — Yea
Bocanegra — Yea
Levine — Yea
John A. Pérez — Yea
Maienschein — Yea
Salas — Yea
Medina — Yea
Chesbro — Yea
Melendez — Yea
Morrell — Yea
Mullin — Yea
Chávez — Yea
Alejo — Yea
Bigelow — Not Voting
Bloom — Yea
Conway — Yea
Cooley — Yea
Donnelly — Not Voting
Eggman — Yea
Olsen — Yea
Pan — Yea
Perea — Yea
Quirk — Yea
Rendon — Yea
Ting — Yea
Weber — Yea
Wilk — Yea
Williams — Yea
Dickinson — Yea
Fox — Yea
Yamada — Yea
Gomez — Yea
Beth Gaines — Yea
Jim Patterson — Yea
Lorena Gonzalez — Yea
Mark Stone — Yea
Roger Hernández — Yea
V. Manuel Pérez — Yea
Bonta, Mia Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Muratsuchi, Al Democratic Yea
Quirk-Silva, Sharon Democratic Yea
Dahle, Megan Republican Yea
Grove, Shannon Republican Yea
Jones, Brian W. Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Do pass as amended.

Passed 15 Yea · 0 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 14002
Democratic 1000
Total 15002
% of votes cast 88%0%0%12%
How each member voted (17)
Member Party Vote
Bradford — Yea
Quirk — Yea
Weber — Yea
Gomez — Yea
Hall — Yea
Harkey — Yea
Holden — Yea
Linder — Yea
Bocanegra — Yea
Pan — Yea
Campos — Yea
Bigelow — Not Voting
Donnelly — Not Voting
Eggman — Yea
Wagner — Yea
Gatto — Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea

Official roll call →

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

Passed 13 Yea · 0 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 10001
Democratic 2000
Republican 1001
Total 13002
% of votes cast 87%0%0%13%
How each member voted (15)
Member Party Vote
Bradford — Yea
Buchanan — Yea
Rendon — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Chávez — Yea
Bonilla — Yea
Williams — Yea
Quirk — Yea
Gorell — Yea
Beth Gaines — Not Voting
Roger Hernández — Yea
Fong, Mike Democratic Yea
Garcia, Robert Democratic Yea
Jones, Brian W. Republican Not Voting
Patterson, Joe Republican Yea

Official roll call →

3rd Reading

Passed 37 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 34001
Democratic 3000
Total 37001
% of votes cast 97%0%0%3%
How each member voted (38)
Member Party Vote
Beall — Yea
Block — Yea
Hill — Yea
Knight — Yea
Lieu — Yea
Price — Not Voting
Roth — Yea
Wolk — Yea
Emmerson — Yea
Correa — Yea
Wright — Yea
Wyland — Yea
Evans — Yea
Fuller — Yea
De León — Yea
Galgiani — Yea
Cannella — Yea
Hancock — Yea
Hernandez — Yea
Hueso — Yea
Huff — Yea
Lara — Yea
Leno — Yea
Anderson — Yea
Corbett — Yea
Liu — Yea
Monning — Yea
Nielsen — Yea
Pavley — Yea
Steinberg — Yea
Walters — Yea
DeSaulnier — Yea
Yee — Yea
Beth Gaines — Yea
Bill Berryhill — Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Jackson, Corey A. Democratic Yea
Padilla, Stephen C. Democratic Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety energy
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Frequently asked questions

What does SB 656 do?
(1) Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has broad regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations, as defined. Existing law restructuring the electrical industry requires the commission to authorize and facilitate direct transactions between electricity suppliers and end-use customers subject to the implementation of a nonbypassable charge, as specified. Electrical restructuring requires electric service providers, which are entities that offer electrical service to customers within the service territory of an electrical corporation but which are not electrical corporations, to register with the commission and to disclose specified information, among other things and authorizes the commission to enforce specific statutes with respect to electric service providers, but does not grant the commission jurisdiction to regulate electric service providers other than as specified. Existing law restructuring the electrical industry requires the commission to compile and regularly update information regarding registered electric service providers, including the names and contact numbers of providers, information to assist consumers in making service choices, the number of customer complaints against specific providers in relation to the number of customers served by those providers, and the disposition of those complaints. In this regard, existing law requires the commission to direct the Division of Ratepayer Advocates to collect and analyze this information for purposes of preparing easily understandable informational guides or other tools to help residential and small commercial customers understand how to evaluate competing electric service options. This bill would, except for the compilation and updating of the names and contact numbers of providers, make inoperative the above provisions, except for those times in which providers are authorized to offer service to residential customers and enrollment increases at a specified level, and would make conforming changes in related provisions. The bill would repeal the requirement related to the informational guides. (2) Existing law relative to the restructuring of the natural gas industry requires the commission to require each gas corporation to provide bundled basic gas service, as defined, to all core customers in its service territory unless the customer chooses or contracts to have natural gas purchased and supplied by another entity. The Public Utilities Act establishes various consumer protection provisions relative to electrical restructuring, including the requirement that each entity, other than an electrical corporation, offering electrical service to residential and small commercial customers within the service territory of an electrical corporation register with the commission and provide specified information to the commission. A violation of the act is a crime. This bill would extend certain consumer protection provisions that are applicable to electrical restructuring to aspects of natural gas restructuring, including the requirement to register with, and provide specified information to the commission, to a core transport agent, as defined, offering gas service to customers within the service territory of a gas corporation. Because a violation of these provisions would be a crime, this 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 SB 656?
SB 656 is sponsored by Wright.
What is the current status of SB 656?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 22, 2013. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 656?
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