BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1389
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 1389 (Ridley-Thomas)
As Amended June 2, 2003
Majority vote.
UTILITIES AND COMMERCE 9-0 APPROPRIATIONS 17-7
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|Ayes:|Reyes, Calderon, |Ayes:|Steinberg,, Berg, Kehoe, |
| |Canciamilla, Diaz, Jerome | |Corbett, |
| |Horton, Levine, Nunez, | |Diaz, Firebaugh, |
| |Ridley-Thomas, Wolk | |Goldberg, Leno, |
| | | |Nation, Chan, Nunez, |
| | | |Pavley, |
| | | |Ridley-Thomas, Simitian, |
| | | |Wiggins, Yee, Laird |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Richman, Campbell, La |Nays:|Bates, Daucher, Haynes, |
| |Malfa, | |Maldonado, |
| |La Suer | |Pacheco, Runner, |
| | | |Samuelian |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Requires the California Public Utilities Commission
(PUC) to annually collect and report to the Legislature
employment information and capital investments made into
California from all public utilities in the state.
Specifically, this bill :
1)States that public utilities serve a vital function, providing
basic infrastructure essential to the efficient conduct of
commerce and societal interaction and a more complete
interpretation of the public interest would also give
consideration to the benefits of public utility employment to
the state and its residents.
2)Requires PUC to annually collect and report to the
Legislature, and make available on its Internet web site, the
following information from all public utilities in the state:
a) The number of customers served in California by a public
utility;
b) The percentage of the public utilities total domestic
AB 1389
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customer base that resides in California;
c) The number of California residents employed full-time or
part-time by a public utility;
d) The percentage of the public utilities total domestic
workforce, calculated on a full-time or part-time basis
that resides in California; and,
e) The capital investment in the public utility's tangible
and intangible plant which ordinarily have a service life
of more than one year, including plant used by the company
or others in providing public utility services in
California.
FISCAL EFFECT : PUC's costs to collect and report the required
information should be minor (less than $20,000).
COMMENTS : According to the author the need for this bill is due
to the fact that public utilities in California have been
increasingly utilizing out-of-state workers for the provision of
utility services to California residents. This has a negative
impact on the workforce in California and the state's economy.
In light of the significant benefits that public utilities enjoy
in California for the use of the public right-of-way, a
reciprocal benefit must be obtained for the residents of the
state. With the increasing rates of unemployment being
experienced in California, coupled with a general economic
downturn, it is appropriate for the State to utilize its
proprietary powers to encourage the employment of California
residents by public utilities operating within the state.
Previous legislation: House Resolution 92 by Assemblymember
Jackie Goldberg was read and adopted by the Assembly on August
28, 2002. The resolution resolved that is was necessary and
proper state policy to encourage the employment of Californians
and discourage the employment of non-Californians by
California's telephone corporations.
AB 2467 (Goldberg) of 2002, stated that it was the policy of the
State of California that tasks and duties necessary for the
rendering of local telephone service within the state be
performed by residents in California. This bill failed passage
in the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee.
AB 1389
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Analysis Prepared by : Daniel Kim / U. & C. / (916) 319-2083
FN: 0001612