AB 2541, as introduced, Dahle. Public utilities.
Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities. The Public Utilities Act authorizes the commission to ascertain and fix just and reasonable standards, classifications, regulations, practices, measurements, or service to be furnished, imposed, observed, and followed by specified public utilities, including all electrical, gas, and water corporations. Existing law authorizes the commission to establish reasonable rules, specifications, and standards to secure the accuracy of all meters and appliances for measurements and requires a public utility that estimates meter readings to so indicate on its billings and to correct any incorrect estimate by the next billing period, except as specified.
This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to the above-described provisions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 770 of the Public Utilities Code is
2amended to read:
The commissionbegin delete mayend deletebegin insert may,end insert afterbegin insert aend insert hearing:
2(a) Ascertain and fix just and reasonable standards,
3classifications, regulations, practices, measurements, or service to
4be furnished, imposed, observed, and followed by all electrical,
5gas, water, and heat corporations.
6(b) Ascertain and fix adequate and serviceable standards for the
7measurement of quantity, quality, pressure, or other condition
8
pertaining to the supply of the product, commodity, or service
9furnished or rendered by anybegin delete such public utility.end deletebegin insert
electrical, gas,
10water, or heat corporation.end insert No standard of the commission
11applicable to any water corporation shall be inconsistent with the
12regulations and standards of the State Department of Health
13pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Sectionbegin delete 116275)end deletebegin insert 116270)end insert
14 of Part 12 of Division 104 of the Health and Safety Code.
15(c) Prescribe reasonable regulations for the examination and
16testing of the product, commodity, or service and for the
17measurement thereof.
18(d) Establish reasonable rules, specifications, and standards to
19secure the accuracy of all meters and appliances for measurements.
20The commission shall require a public utility that estimates meter
21
readings to so indicate on its billings, and shall require any estimate
22that is incorrect to be corrected by the next billing period, except
23that for reasons beyond its control due tobegin delete weather,end deletebegin insert weatherend insert or in
24cases of unusual conditions, corrections for any overestimate or
25underestimate shall be reflected on the first regularly scheduled
26 bill and based on an actual reading following the period of
27inaccessibility.
28(e) Provide for the examination and testing of any and all
29appliances used for the measurement of any product, commodity,
30or service of anybegin delete such public utility.end deletebegin insert electrical, gas, water,
or heat
31corporation.end insert
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