SB-24 • 2026

Public utilities: review of accounts: electrical and gas corporations: rates: political influence activities.

Crime Education Energy

Vetoed

The latest official action shows the governor vetoed this bill. Check the bill history to see whether lawmakers later overrode that veto.

Sponsor: McNerney
Last action: 2026-03-02
Official status: Veto sustained.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill was vetoed by the governor, so it is not currently in effect and its exact impacts cannot be determined.

Public Utilities: Rules on Rates and Political Spending

The bill sets rules about how electrical and gas companies can spend money from customers, especially when it comes to political activities.

What This Bill Does

It stops electric and gas companies from using customer money to pay for activities that oppose city-owned utilities (municipalization).
It requires the Public Utilities Commission to monitor and investigate if these companies follow the rules about not spending customer money on certain political activities.
It gives the Public Advocate’s Office of the Public Utilities Commission the same power as the commission to look at company records.

Who It Names or Affects

Electric and gas companies that charge customers for their services.
The Public Utilities Commission, which sets rules for these companies.
Customers who pay bills to electric and gas companies.

Terms To Know

municipalization: When a city takes over the operation of utilities like electricity or water from private companies.
Public Utilities Commission (PUC): A government agency that regulates public utility companies to ensure fair rates and services for customers.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill was vetoed by the governor, so it is not currently a law.
It does not specify what happens if a company breaks these rules.
There are no details on how much money this will cost or save.

Bill History

2026-03-02 California Legislative Information
Veto sustained.
2026-03-02 California Legislative Information
Stricken from file.
2025-10-11 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending.
2025-10-11 California Legislative Information
Vetoed by the Governor.
2025-09-23 California Legislative Information
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
2025-09-12 California Legislative Information
Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 29. Noes 9. Page 2965.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
2025-09-12 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
2025-09-11 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 46. Noes 9. Page 3282.) Ordered to the Senate.
2025-09-05 California Legislative Information
Ordered to third reading.
2025-09-05 California Legislative Information
Read third time and amended.
2025-09-05 California Legislative Information
Assembly Rule 69(b)(1) suspended.
2025-09-03 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-09-02 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 9. Noes 1.) (August 29).
2025-08-20 California Legislative Information
August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-06-27 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-06-26 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 1.) (June 25).
2025-06-17 California Legislative Information
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on U. & E.
2025-06-09 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on U. & E.
2025-06-03 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
2025-06-02 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 10. Page 1360.) Ordered to the Assembly.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 1187.) (May 23).
2025-05-16 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing May 23.
2025-05-05 California Legislative Information
May 5 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-04-25 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing May 5.
2025-04-23 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-04-23 California Legislative Information
Withdrawn from committee.
2025-04-23 California Legislative Information
April 29 hearing postponed by committee.
2025-04-22 California Legislative Information
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
2025-04-22 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 13. Noes 4. Page 809.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
2025-04-11 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 29 in JUD. pending receipt.
2025-04-10 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 21.
2025-04-02 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Coms. on E., U & C. and JUD.
2025-03-25 California Legislative Information
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
2025-01-29 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on RLS.
2024-12-03 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be acted upon on or after January 2.
2024-12-02 California Legislative Information
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 24, McNerney.
Public utilities: review of accounts: electrical and gas corporations: rates: political influence activities.
Existing law authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to fix the rates and charges for public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations, and requires those rates and charges to be just and reasonable. Under existing law, a regulated public utility is prohibited from using ratepayer funds for advocacy-related activities that are political or do not otherwise benefit ratepayers.
This bill would prohibit, except as provided, each electrical corporation or gas corporation from recording to accounts that contain expenses that the electrical corporation or gas corporation recovers from ratepayers, or otherwise recovering from ratepayers,
direct or indirect costs of opposing the municipalization of electrical or gas service, as specified. The bill would require the commission to monitor and investigate compliance and noncompliance with the prohibition.
Existing law authorizes the commission, each commissioner, and each officer and person employed by the commission to inspect the accounts, books, papers, and documents of any public utility.
This bill would specify that the Public Advocate’s Office of the Public Utilities Commission has the same authority to discover information and review the accounts of a public utility as the commission.
Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or
requirement of the commission is a crime.
Because the above-described provisions would be part of the act and a violation of a commission action implementing the bill’s requirements would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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