California 2019-2020 Regular Session Status: Enacted 1 D cosponsors

SB 550 — Public utilities: merger, acquisition, or control of electrical or gas corporations.

Last action — Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 409, Statutes of 2019.

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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, 2019. Enacted.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 74% · 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.

  • 2 sponsors

    1 primary, 1 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 D).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 9 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 regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations. Existing law prohibits a public utility, other than certain common carriers, from selling, leasing, assigning, mortgaging, or otherwise disposing of, or encumbering its assets that are necessary or useful in the performance of its duties to the public by any means with any other public utility, unless the public utility has secured an order from the commission to do so for a qualified transaction above $5,000,000 or an approval from the commission through the filing of an advice letter for a qualified transaction at or below $5,000,000. This bill would eliminate the requirement that the above-described transactions be with another public utility to be subject to those conditions on approval. The bill would explicitly require the commission to approve or reject any voluntary or involuntary change in ownership of assets from an electrical or gas corporation to ownership by a public entity and would require the commission to determine whether that transaction is fair and reasonable to the affected public utility employees as part of that review. (2) Existing law prohibits a person or corporation, including a public entity, from merging, acquiring, or controlling, as described, either directly or indirectly, any public utility organized and doing business in this state without first securing authorization to do so from the commission. Before authorizing the merger, acquisition, or control of any electrical, gas, or telephone corporation organized and doing business in this state, where any of the entities that are parties to the proposed transaction has gross annual California revenues exceeding $500,000,000, existing law requires the commission to consider specified criteria and to find that the merger, acquisition, or control proposal meets certain requirements and is in the public interest, as specified. This bill would require the commission, before authorizing a merger, acquisition, or change in control of an electrical or gas corporation, where an entity to the proposed transaction has gross annual California revenues exceeding $400,000,000, to additionally consider specified elements relating to the safety activities of an electrical or gas corporation, including a nonpunitive system for reporting potential safety incidents to the commission, and find, on balance, that the proposal is in the public interest. The bill would authorize the commission to delay the requirement that the commission consider these specified elements and find, on balance, that the proposal is in the public interest, until July 1, 2021, or until the commission adopts rules implementing this requirement, whichever is earlier. The bill would prohibit subjecting an employee of, or the employee of a contractor performing work for, the electrical or gas corporation to demotion, discharge, or any other form of retaliation or discrimination for participating in the nonpunitive system for reporting potential safety incidents. The bill would eliminate the requirement for these reviews for a change in ownership in the assets of an electrical or gas corporation to ownership by a public entity. (3) Under existing law, a violation of any provision of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because the provisions of this bill are within the act and a violation of an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission implementing the bill's requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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 409, Statutes of 2019.

  2. Approved by the Governor.

  3. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 10 a.m.

  4. Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 39. Noes 1. Page 2929.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

  5. From committee: That the Assembly amendments be concurred in. (Ayes 11. Noes 0. Page 2908.)

  6. Set for hearing September 12.

  7. From committee: Be re-referred to Com. on E., U. & C. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(d). (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 2822.) Re-referred to Com. on E., U. & C.

  8. Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(d).

  9. In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  10. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3256.) Ordered to the Senate.

  11. Ordered to third reading.

  12. Read third time and amended.

  13. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  14. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (August 21).

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

  16. (Received at desk July 17 pursuant to JR 61(a)(10)).

  17. From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (July 10).

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

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

  20. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 34. Noes 3. Page 1189.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  21. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  22. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 4. Noes 1. Page 1102.) (May 16).

  23. Set for hearing May 16.

  24. May 6 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  25. Set for hearing May 6.

  26. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 1. Page 842.) (April 24). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  27. Set for hearing April 24.

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

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

  30. Read first time.

  31. From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 27.

  32. Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 1 co-sponsors · 120 not signed on · 1 voted No

Sponsors (1)

  • Hill

Co-sponsors (1)

Not signed on (120)

120 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 120 →

"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 SB550 Hill et al. Concurrence

Passed 39 Yea · 1 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 26100
Democratic 10000
Republican 3000
Total 39100
% of votes cast 98%3%0%0%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Leyva — Yea
Dodd — Yea
Moorlach — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Allen — Yea
Borgeas — Yea
Galgiani — Yea
Hertzberg — Yea
Portantino — Yea
Bates — Yea
Glazer — Yea
Nielsen — Yea
Chang — Yea
Pan — Yea
Morrell — Nay
Rubio — Yea
Monning — Yea
Wieckowski — Yea
Mitchell — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Wilk — Yea
Beall — Yea
Atkins — Yea
Hill — Yea
Roth — Yea
Hueso — Yea
Mark Stone — Yea
Archuleta, Bob Democratic Yea
Caballero, Anna M. Democratic Yea
Durazo, Maria Elena Democratic Yea
Gonzalez, Lena A. Democratic Yea
Hurtado, Melissa Democratic Yea
Jackson, Corey A. Democratic Yea
McGuire, Mike Democratic Yea
Stern, Henry I. Democratic Yea
Umberg, Thomas J. Democratic Yea
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Yea
Dahle, Megan Republican Yea
Grove, Shannon Republican Yea
Jones, Brian W. Republican Yea

Official roll call →

That the Assembly amendments be concurred in

Passed 11 Yea · 0 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 8002
Democratic 3000
Total 11002
% of votes cast 85%0%0%15%
How each member voted (13)
Member Party Vote
Dodd — Yea
Moorlach — Yea
Rubio — Yea
Hill — Yea
Hueso — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Chang — Yea
Hertzberg — Not Voting
Skinner — Not Voting
Mark Stone — Yea
McGuire, Mike Democratic Yea
Stern, Henry I. Democratic Yea
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Yea

Official roll call →

SB 550 Hill Senate Third Reading By Holden

Passed 79 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 52000
Democratic 22000
Republican 5000
Total 79000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (79)
Member Party Vote
Mathis — Yea
Cooley — Yea
Diep — Yea
Chau — Yea
Quirk — Yea
Low — Yea
Burke — Yea
Cooper — Yea
Rendon — Yea
Smith — Yea
Cunningham — Yea
Gonzalez — Yea
Bloom — Yea
Voepel — Yea
Rodriguez — Yea
Chiu — Yea
Gray — Yea
Maienschein — Yea
Mullin — Yea
Kamlager-Dove — Yea
Medina — Yea
Chu — Yea
Ting — Yea
McCarty — Yea
O'Donnell — Yea
Waldron — Yea
Salas — Yea
Brough — Yea
Gloria — Yea
Obernolte — Yea
Holden — Yea
Daly — Yea
Jones-Sawyer — Yea
Friedman — Yea
Nazarian — Yea
Weber — Yea
Fong — Yea
Kiley — Yea
Mayes — Yea
Frazier — Yea
Bigelow — Yea
Santiago — Yea
Eggman — Yea
Levine — Yea
Wood — Yea
Melendez — Yea
Cristina Garcia — Yea
Eduardo Garcia — Yea
Jim Patterson — Yea
Luz Rivas — Yea
Mark Stone — Yea
Wendy Carrillo — Yea
Aguiar-Curry, Cecilia M. Democratic Yea
Arambula, Joaquin Democratic Yea
Bauer-Kahan, Rebecca Democratic Yea
Berman, Marc Democratic Yea
Boerner, Tasha Democratic Yea
Bonta, Mia Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Cervantes, Sabrina Democratic Yea
Gabriel, Jesse Democratic Yea
Gipson, Mike A. Democratic Yea
Grayson, Timothy S. Democratic Yea
Irwin, Jacqui Democratic Yea
Kalra, Ash Democratic Yea
Limón, Monique Democratic Yea
Muratsuchi, Al Democratic Yea
Petrie-Norris, Cottie Democratic Yea
Quirk-Silva, Sharon Democratic Yea
Ramos, James C. Democratic Yea
Reyes, Eloise Gómez Democratic Yea
Rivas, Robert Democratic Yea
Rubio, Blanca E. Democratic Yea
Wicks, Buffy Democratic Yea
Chen, Phillip Republican Yea
Choi, Steven S. Republican Yea
Flora, Heath Republican Yea
Gallagher, James Republican Yea
Lackey, Tom Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Do pass.

Passed 17 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 5000
Unaffiliated 12001
Total 17001
% of votes cast 94%0%0%6%
How each member voted (18)
Member Party Vote
Bloom — Yea
Fong — Yea
Brough — Yea
Obernolte — Yea
Maienschein — Yea
Quirk — Yea
Bigelow — Yea
Eggman — Yea
Gonzalez — Yea
Diep — Yea
Chau — Yea
Eduardo Garcia — Not Voting
Wendy Carrillo — Yea
Bonta, Mia Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Gabriel, Jesse Democratic Yea
Petrie-Norris, Cottie Democratic Yea
Rivas, Robert Democratic Yea

Official roll call →

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

Passed 14 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 11001
Democratic 2000
Republican 1000
Total 14001
% of votes cast 93%0%0%7%
How each member voted (15)
Member Party Vote
Burke — Yea
Santiago — Yea
Mayes — Yea
Holden — Yea
Ting — Yea
Eggman — Yea
Quirk — Yea
Cunningham — Not Voting
Cristina Garcia — Yea
Eduardo Garcia — Yea
Jim Patterson — Yea
Wendy Carrillo — Yea
Muratsuchi, Al Democratic Yea
Reyes, Eloise Gómez Democratic Yea
Chen, Phillip Republican Yea

Official roll call →

3rd Reading

Passed 34 Yea · 3 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 24201
Democratic 9000
Republican 1100
Total 34301
% of votes cast 89%8%0%3%
How each member voted (38)
Member Party Vote
Rubio — Yea
Monning — Yea
Wieckowski — Yea
Mitchell — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Wilk — Yea
Beall — Yea
Atkins — Yea
Hill — Yea
Roth — Yea
Hueso — Yea
Leyva — Yea
Dodd — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Allen — Yea
Borgeas — Yea
Galgiani — Yea
Hertzberg — Yea
Portantino — Yea
Glazer — Yea
Nielsen — Yea
Chang — Yea
Pan — Yea
Moorlach — Nay
Morrell — Nay
Bates — Not Voting
Mark Stone — Yea
Archuleta, Bob Democratic Yea
Caballero, Anna M. Democratic Yea
Durazo, Maria Elena Democratic Yea
Hurtado, Melissa Democratic Yea
Jackson, Corey A. Democratic Yea
McGuire, Mike Democratic Yea
Stern, Henry I. Democratic Yea
Umberg, Thomas J. Democratic Yea
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Yea
Grove, Shannon Republican Yea
Jones, Brian W. Republican Nay

Official roll call →

Do pass

Passed 4 Yea · 1 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 4001
Republican 0100
Total 4101
% of votes cast 67%17%0%17%
How each member voted (6)
Member Party Vote
Wieckowski — Yea
Bates — Not Voting
Hill — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Portantino — Yea
Jones, Brian W. Republican Nay

Official roll call →

Placed on suspense file

Passed 5 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 1000
Unaffiliated 4001
Total 5001
% of votes cast 83%0%0%17%
How each member voted (6)
Member Party Vote
Wieckowski — Yea
Portantino — Yea
Bates — Yea
Hill — Yea
Bradford — Not Voting
Jones, Brian W. Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

Passed 12 Yea · 1 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 9100
Democratic 3000
Total 12100
% of votes cast 92%8%0%0%
How each member voted (13)
Member Party Vote
Dodd — Yea
Rubio — Yea
Hertzberg — Yea
Hill — Yea
Hueso — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Chang — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Moorlach — Nay
Mark Stone — Yea
McGuire, Mike Democratic Yea
Stern, Henry I. Democratic Yea
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety labor energy
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Frequently asked questions

What does SB 550 do?
(1) Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations. Existing law prohibits a public utility, other than certain common carriers, from selling, leasing, assigning, mortgaging, or otherwise disposing of, or encumbering its assets that are necessary or useful in the performance of its duties to the public by any means with any other public utility, unless the public utility has secured an order from the commission to do so for a qualified transaction above $5,000,000 or an approval from the commission through the filing of an advice letter for a qualified transaction at or below $5,000,000. This bill would eliminate the requirement that the above-described transactions be with another public utility to be subject to those conditions on approval. The bill would explicitly require the commission to approve or reject any voluntary or involuntary change in ownership of assets from an electrical or gas corporation to ownership by a public entity and would require the commission to determine whether that transaction is fair and reasonable to the affected public utility employees as part of that review. (2) Existing law prohibits a person or corporation, including a public entity, from merging, acquiring, or controlling, as described, either directly or indirectly, any public utility organized and doing business in this state without first securing authorization to do so from the commission. Before authorizing the merger, acquisition, or control of any electrical, gas, or telephone corporation organized and doing business in this state, where any of the entities that are parties to the proposed transaction has gross annual California revenues exceeding $500,000,000, existing law requires the commission to consider specified criteria and to find that the merger, acquisition, or control proposal meets certain requirements and is in the public interest, as specified. This bill would require the commission, before authorizing a merger, acquisition, or change in control of an electrical or gas corporation, where an entity to the proposed transaction has gross annual California revenues exceeding $400,000,000, to additionally consider specified elements relating to the safety activities of an electrical or gas corporation, including a nonpunitive system for reporting potential safety incidents to the commission, and find, on balance, that the proposal is in the public interest. The bill would authorize the commission to delay the requirement that the commission consider these specified elements and find, on balance, that the proposal is in the public interest, until July 1, 2021, or until the commission adopts rules implementing this requirement, whichever is earlier. The bill would prohibit subjecting an employee of, or the employee of a contractor performing work for, the electrical or gas corporation to demotion, discharge, or any other form of retaliation or discrimination for participating in the nonpunitive system for reporting potential safety incidents. The bill would eliminate the requirement for these reviews for a change in ownership in the assets of an electrical or gas corporation to ownership by a public entity. (3) Under existing law, a violation of any provision of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because the provisions of this bill are within the act and a violation of an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission implementing the bill's requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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 550?
SB 550 is sponsored by Hill and Rubio, Susan (Democratic).
What is the current status of SB 550?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 22, 2019. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 550?
Track SB 550 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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