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AB-2031 • 2026

Public utilities: property, franchises, and permits: exemption.

Public utilities: property, franchises, and permits: exemption.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Petrie-Norris
Last action
2026-04-23
Official status
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 18. Noes 0.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide details on what happens if the commission fails to make a decision within 90 days.

Public Utilities: Shortening Approval Time for Advice Letters

This law changes how long a Public Utilities Commission has to decide on advice letters from public utilities, reducing the time limit from 120 days to 90 days.

What This Bill Does

  • Reduces the time the Public Utilities Commission must take to approve or deny an advice letter from 120 days to 90 days.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Public Utilities Commission
  • Public utilities that file advice letters

Terms To Know

Advice letter
A document submitted by a public utility to the Public Utilities Commission for approval of certain transactions.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if the commission does not make a decision within 90 days.
  • The bill only affects advice letters for transactions under $5 million; larger transactions have different requirements.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 18. Noes 0.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  2. 2026-03-02 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on U. & E.

  3. 2026-02-18 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 20.

  4. 2026-02-17 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 2031, as introduced, Petrie-Norris.
Public utilities: property, franchises, and permits: exemption.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities. Existing law prohibits public utilities, other than certain common carriers, from selling, leasing, assigning, mortgaging, or otherwise disposing of, or encumbering, its assets that are necessary or useful in the performance of its duties to the public, unless the public utility has secured an order from the commission to do so for a qualified transaction above $5,000,000 or an approval from the commission through the filing of an advice letter for a qualified transaction at or below $5,000,000. Absent protest or incomplete documentation, existing law requires the commission to approve or deny the advice letter within 120 days of its filing by the applicant public utility.
This bill would reduce the time the commission has to approve or deny the
advice letter from 120 days to 90 days.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Download Bill PDF