BILL ANALYSIS Ó Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair AB 1650 (Portantino) - Public utilities: emergency and disaster preparedness. Amended: August 6, 2012 Policy Vote: E,U&C 10-0 Urgency: No Mandate: Yes Hearing Date: August 16, 2012 Consultant: Bob Franzoia SUSPENSE FILE. AS PROPOSED TO BE AMENDED. Bill Summary: AB 1650 would require the Public Utilities Commission to establish standards for disaster and emergency preparedness plans within an existing procedure. Fiscal Impact: $250,000 from the Public Utilities Reimbursement Account in 2012-13 and 2013-14 for a utility engineer and a limited term administrative law judge to develop standards and conduct a rule making in order to revise the commission's General Order 166 relating to emergency plans. $110,000 from the Public Utilities Reimbursement Account annually to review emergency plans, update standards, consult with utility staff and local officials and attend public meetings. Background: Commission General Order 166 requires electrical utilities to annually file updated emergency response plan. The order contains general requirements that the utility communicate with local governments and provide notice of its annual emergency response exercise, but does not require regular public meetings. Current law requires all public water systems, including water corporations, with 10,000 or more service connections to review and revise disaster preparedness plans in conjunction with related agencies, including, but not limited to, local fire departments and the California Emergency Management Agency. Proposed Law: This bill would require electrical corporations and water companies regulated by the commission to develop, adopt and update an emergency and disaster preparedness plan. AB 1650 (Portantino) Page 1 The proposed amendments would amend Public Utilities Code 769, as added by the bill, to read: 769?(B) Every city, county, or city and county within the electrical corporation's service area in Californiashallmay designate a point of contact for the electrical corporation to consult with on emergency and disaster preparedness plans?. (1) A county participating in a meeting pursuant to subdivision (b)shallmay inform each city within the county of the time and place of the meeting.