SB 631, as amended, Hueso. Public Utilities Commission: fees.
Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities. Existing lawbegin delete allowsend deletebegin insert requiresend insert the commission to charge and collect a fee of $75 for filing each application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity, or for the mortgage, lease, transfer, or assignment of a certificate.
This bill wouldbegin delete instead require the fee to not exceed the reasonable costs to the commission for filing these applications. The
bill would authorize theend deletebegin insert require aend insert feebegin delete in an amount not to exceedend deletebegin insert ofend insert $500begin insert for filing these applicationsend insert and would authorize the commission to adjust this fee based on the Consumer Price Index.
Existing law establishes the Public Utilities Commission Utilities Reimbursement Account and generally provides that all fees and charges collected under the Public Utilities Code from each public utility, except penalties, be paid into the fund. Other existing law provides that specified fees, including, but not limited to, the fee for filing each application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity, or for the mortgage, lease, transfer, or assignment of a certificate, are required to be paid at least once each month into the State Treasury to the credit of the General Fund.
end insertbegin insertThis bill would repeal the provision that requires certain fees to be paid at least once each month into the State Treasury to the credit of the General Fund.
end insertVote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 1904 of the Public Utilities Code is
2amended to read:
The commission shall also charge and collect the
4following fees:
5(a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 1036 for filing each
6application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity,
7or for the mortgage, lease, transfer, or assignment thereof,begin delete an five hundredbegin insert dollarsend insert ($500). The commission
8amount not to exceedend delete
9may adjust this fee based on the Consumer Price Index.begin delete The fee
10charged and collected pursuant to this subdivision shall not exceed
11the reasonable costs to the commission for filing the application.end delete
12(b) For a certificate authorizing an issue of bonds, notes, or
13other evidences of indebtedness, two dollars ($2) for each one
14thousand dollars ($1,000) of the face value of the authorized issue
15or fraction thereof up to one million dollars ($1,000,000), one
16dollar ($1) for each one thousand dollars ($1,000) over one million
17dollars ($1,000,000) and up to ten million dollars ($10,000,000),
18and fifty cents ($0.50) for each one thousand dollars ($1,000) over
19ten million dollars ($10,000,000), with a minimum fee in any case
20of fifty dollars ($50). No fee need be paid on such portion of any
21such issue as may be used to guarantee, take over, refund,
22discharge, or retire any stock, bond,begin delete noteend deletebegin insert
note,end insert or other evidence
23of indebtedness on which a fee has theretofore been paid to the
24commission. If the commission modified the amount of the issue
25requested in any case and the applicant thereupon elects not to
26avail itself of the commission’s authorization, no fee shall be paid,
27and if such fee is paid prior to the issuance of such certificate by
28the commission, such fee shall be returned.
begin insertSection 1906 of the end insertbegin insertPublic Utilities Codeend insertbegin insert is repealed.end insert
All fees collected under this chapter shall be paid, except
31as provided in Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 5001) of
P3 1Division 2, at least once each month into the State Treasury to the
2credit of the General Fund.
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