BILL NUMBER: AB 1800	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 26, 2016
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 4, 2016

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Hadley

                        FEBRUARY 8, 2016

   An act to add Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 8390) to Division
4.1 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to public utilities.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1800, as amended, Hadley. Utility outage compensation claims:
annual posting.
   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 requires each electrical
corporation to report annually on its compliance with specified
standards or rules adopted by the commission, including, but not
limited to, standards for operation, reliability, and safety during
periods of emergency and disaster. Existing law requires the
commission to adopt inspection, maintenance, repair, and replacement
standards for the distribution systems of electrical corporations in
order to provide high-quality, safe, and reliable service. Existing
law requires the commission to conduct a review to determine whether
the standards have been met and to perform the review after every
major outage.
   The existing restructuring of the electrical industry within the
Public Utilities Act provides for the establishment of an Independent
System Operator, or ISO, as a nonprofit public benefit corporation
and requires the ISO to ensure efficient use and reliable operation
of the electrical transmission grid consistent with achieving
planning and operating reserve criteria no less stringent than those
established by the Western Electricity Coordinating Council and the
North American Electric Reliability Council. Existing law requires
the ISO to perform a review after any major outage that affects at
least 10% of the customers of the entity providing the local
distribution service. If the ISO finds that the operation and
maintenance practices of the transmission facility owner or operator
prolonged the response time or was responsible for the outage, the
ISO is authorized to order appropriate sanctions, subject to the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approving that authority.
   This bill would require each electrical corporation and local
publicly owned electric utility to annually post on its Internet Web
site specified information relating to utility outage compensation
claims for the previous year. The bill would make these requirements
applicable to those outages that the ISO, the commission, or the
utility has determined are the fault of the  utility.
  utility, or those claims relating to outages that the
utility has determined to pay.  By adding reporting requirements
that are applicable to local publicly owned electric utilities, the
bill would impose a state-mandated local program.  The bill would
prohibit information relating to utility outage compensation claims
from being admitted as evidence in any action for damages against an
electrical corporation or local publicly owned electric utility
arising out of an outage   . 
   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.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 8390) is added to
Division 4.1 of the Public Utilities Code, to read:
      CHAPTER 6.  ELECTRICAL UTILITY OUTAGE COMPENSATION CLAIMS


   8390.  The reporting requirements of this chapter apply only to
those outages that the Independent System Operator, the commission,
or the electrical corporation or local publicly owned electric
utility has determined are the fault of the  utility.
  utility, or those claims relating to outages that the
utility has determined to pay. 
   8391.  Each electrical corporation and local publicly owned
electric utility shall annually post on its Internet Web site all of
the following information relating to utility outage compensation
claims for the previous year:
   (a) The number of claims still open from the previous year.
   (b) The number of new claims received.
   (c) The total number of applicants awaiting determination or
judgment at the end of the year.
   (d) The median time taken to process claims once the outage was
determined to be the fault of the  utility.  
utility, or once the utility has determined to pay. 
   (e) The number of claims approved.
   (f) The number of claims denied. 
   8392.  Information relating to utility outage compensation claims
shall not be admitted as evidence in any action for damages against
an electrical corporation or local publicly owned electric utility
arising out of an outage. 
  SEC. 2.  No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because a
local agency or school district has the authority to levy service
charges, fees, or assessments sufficient to pay for the program or
level of service mandated by this act, within the meaning of Section
17556 of the Government Code.