BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1389
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 1389 (Ridley-Thomas)
As Amended August 26, 2003
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |46-30|(June 5, 2003) |SENATE: |22-12|(August 28, |
| | | | | |2003) |
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Original Committee Reference: U. & C.
SUMMARY : Requires the California Public Utilities Commission
(PUC) to provide an annual report to the policy committees of
the Senate and Assembly, and to make the report publicly
available through the Internet.
The Senate amendments require PUC to provide an annual report to
the policy committees of the Senate and Assembly, and to make
the report publicly available through the Internet. The report
will contain the following information from a public utility
with over 750 employees: The number of California residents
employed as independent contractors and consultants by the
public utility (applies only to those employees personally
providing services to the utility and only when the utility has
obtained the information upon requesting it and is not
contractually prohibited from disclosing such information.)
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill:
1)Stated 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)Required 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 : According to the Senate Appropriations Committee
this bill could result in increased costs to PUC of
approximately $95,000 annually. If PUC must audit reported
information, costs could be higher.
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. This 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
AB 1389
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in the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee.
Analysis Prepared by : Daniel Kim / U. & C. / (916) 319-2083
FN: 0003177