Senate Bill No. 1017

Introduced by Senator Hill

February 11, 2016

An act to amend Section 583 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to the Public Utilities Commission.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 1017, as introduced, Hill. Public Utilities Commission: public availability of utility supplied documents.

The California Constitution establishes the Public Utilities Commission with certain general authority over all public utilities, including the authority to establish rules for all public utilities, subject to control by the Legislature. The Public Utilities Act prohibits the commission or an officer or employee of the commission from disclosing any information furnished to the commission by a public utility, a subsidiary, an affiliate, or a corporation holding a controlling interest in a public utility, unless the information is specifically required to be open to public inspection under the act, except on order of the commission or a commissioner in the course of a hearing or proceeding.

This bill would authorize the commission to adopt rules providing for the disclosure of information furnished to the commission by a public utility, a subsidiary, an affiliate, or a corporation holding a controlling interest in a public utility.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares that, pursuant
to Section 3 of Article I of the California Constitution, the public
should have access to all public records of state entities and this
right should extend to public records of the Public Utilities
Commission.

SEC. 2.  

Section 583 of the Public Utilities Code is amended
to read:

583.  

No information furnished to the commission by a public
utility, or any business which is a subsidiary or affiliate of a public
utility, or a corporation which holds a controlling interest in a
public utility, except those matters specifically required to be open
to public inspection by this part, shall be open to public inspection
or made public except on order begin insert or rule end insert of the commission, or by
the commission or a commissioner in the course of a hearing or
proceeding. Any present or former officer or employee of the
commission who divulges any such information is guilty of a
misdemeanor.