California 2019-2020 Regular Session Status: In Committee

AB 868 — Electrical corporations: wildfire mitigation plans.

Last action — From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

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

This bill died with 2019-2020 Regular Session. It reached “In Committee” 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This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis.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

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations, while local publicly owned electric utilities are under the direction of their governing boards. Existing law provides that electrical cooperatives are subject to the regulatory authority of the commission pursuant to the Public Utilities Act, except as specified. Existing law requires each electrical corporation, local publicly owned electric utility, and electrical cooperative to construct, maintain, and operate its electrical lines and equipment in a manner that will minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfire posed by those electrical lines and equipment. Existing law requires each electrical corporation, local publicly owned electric utility, and electrical cooperative to annually prepare a wildfire mitigation plan. Existing law requires that a wildfire mitigation plan of an electrical corporation include protocols for disabling reclosers and deenergizing portions of the electrical distribution system that consider the associated impacts on public safety, as well as protocols related to mitigating the public safety impacts of those protocols, including impacts on critical first responders and on health and communications infrastructure. Existing law requires that a wildfire mitigation plan of an electrical corporation include appropriate and feasible procedures for notifying a customer who may be impacted by the deenergizing of electrical lines. Existing law requires that the procedures consider the need to notify, as a priority, critical first responders, health care facilities, and operators of telecommunications infrastructure. This bill would require each electrical corporation that deenergizes portions of the distribution grid as a wildfire mitigation measure to adopt protocols for when deenergization will be undertaken and for providing notice and other steps to be taken to minimize any adverse effects from deenergization, as specified. The bill would require that the electrical corporation, in developing the protocols, consult with persons and institutions that are reasonably likely to be affected by a deenergization, including local schools, water suppliers, wastewater agencies, disability rights advocates, consumer groups, fire departments, law enforcement agencies, local government officials, local elected officials, hospitals, and communications providers. The bill would require an electrical corporation that deenergizes portions of the distribution grid as a wildfire mitigation measure to maintain an internet website, or maintain a dedicated web page identified and accessible from its general internet website, that is devoted to public safety as it relates to the utility services provided by the electrical corporation, as specified.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

  2. Died pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 10(c) of the Constitution.

  3. In committee: Held under submission.

  4. In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  5. In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

  6. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  7. Read second time and amended.

  8. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (April 3).

  9. Re-referred to Com. on U. & E.

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

  11. Referred to Com. on U. & E.

  12. From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.

  13. Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

  • Bigelow · Primary

Sponsorship breakdown

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

Sponsors (1)

  • Bigelow

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 as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

Passed 15 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 9000
Democratic 4000
Republican 2000
Total 15000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (15)
Member Party Vote
Burke — Yea
Santiago — Yea
Mayes — Yea
Holden — Yea
Ting — Yea
Cunningham — Yea
Eggman — Yea
Quirk — Yea
Cristina Garcia — Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Carrillo, Juan Democratic Yea
Muratsuchi, Al Democratic Yea
Reyes, Eloise Gómez Democratic Yea
Chen, Phillip Republican Yea
Patterson, Joe Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety environment technology
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 868 do?
Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations, while local publicly owned electric utilities are under the direction of their governing boards. Existing law provides that electrical cooperatives are subject to the regulatory authority of the commission pursuant to the Public Utilities Act, except as specified. Existing law requires each electrical corporation, local publicly owned electric utility, and electrical cooperative to construct, maintain, and operate its electrical lines and equipment in a manner that will minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfire posed by those electrical lines and equipment. Existing law requires each electrical corporation, local publicly owned electric utility, and electrical cooperative to annually prepare a wildfire mitigation plan. Existing law requires that a wildfire mitigation plan of an electrical corporation include protocols for disabling reclosers and deenergizing portions of the electrical distribution system that consider the associated impacts on public safety, as well as protocols related to mitigating the public safety impacts of those protocols, including impacts on critical first responders and on health and communications infrastructure. Existing law requires that a wildfire mitigation plan of an electrical corporation include appropriate and feasible procedures for notifying a customer who may be impacted by the deenergizing of electrical lines. Existing law requires that the procedures consider the need to notify, as a priority, critical first responders, health care facilities, and operators of telecommunications infrastructure. This bill would require each electrical corporation that deenergizes portions of the distribution grid as a wildfire mitigation measure to adopt protocols for when deenergization will be undertaken and for providing notice and other steps to be taken to minimize any adverse effects from deenergization, as specified. The bill would require that the electrical corporation, in developing the protocols, consult with persons and institutions that are reasonably likely to be affected by a deenergization, including local schools, water suppliers, wastewater agencies, disability rights advocates, consumer groups, fire departments, law enforcement agencies, local government officials, local elected officials, hospitals, and communications providers. The bill would require an electrical corporation that deenergizes portions of the distribution grid as a wildfire mitigation measure to maintain an internet website, or maintain a dedicated web page identified and accessible from its general internet website, that is devoted to public safety as it relates to the utility services provided by the electrical corporation, as specified.
Who sponsors AB 868?
AB 868 is sponsored by Bigelow.
What is the current status of AB 868?
This bill died with 2019-2020 Regular Session. It reached “In Committee” 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 868?
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