Bill Commons

CA SB 327

enacted

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

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · upper

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Quick answers

Did CA SB 327 pass?

Yes. CA SB 327 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-09-27): Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 645, Statutes of 2026.

What is CA SB 327 about?

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. Existing law prohibits each electrical corporation or gas corporation from recording to an above-the-line account, or otherwise recovering from ratepayers, direct or indirect costs of specified activities. This bill would include in those activities for which costs may not be recovered from ratepayers any activities related to opposing the municipalization of electrical or gas utility service, as specified. 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. Existing law establishes within the commission an independent Public Advocate's Office of the Public Utilities Commission and authorizes the office to require an entity regulated by the commission to produce or disclose any information the office deems necessary to perform its duties, as provided. This bill would additionally authorize the office to require an entity regulated by the commission to produce or disclose any information the office deems necessary to support the commission's duties. The bill would also specify that the office has the same authority to discover information and review the accounts of a public utility as the commission and would change the timing of a specified annual report by the office to the Legislature. 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.

Who sponsors CA SB 327?

McNerney is the primary sponsor of CA SB 327, joined by 6 cosponsors.

Description

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. Existing law prohibits each electrical corporation or gas corporation from recording to an above-the-line account, or otherwise recovering from ratepayers, direct or indirect costs of specified activities. This bill would include in those activities for which costs may not be recovered from ratepayers any activities related to opposing the municipalization of electrical or gas utility service, as specified. 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. Existing law establishes within the commission an independent Public Advocate's Office of the Public Utilities Commission and authorizes the office to require an entity regulated by the commission to produce or disclose any information the office deems necessary to perform its duties, as provided. This bill would additionally authorize the office to require an entity regulated by the commission to produce or disclose any information the office deems necessary to support the commission's duties. The bill would also specify that the office has the same authority to discover information and review the accounts of a public utility as the commission and would change the timing of a specified annual report by the office to the Legislature. 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.

Introduced
2025-02-11
Latest action
2026-09-27 — Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 645, Statutes of 2026.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • McNerneyauthor
  • Wahabauthor
  • Allencoauthor
  • Wienercoauthor
  • Bermancoauthor
  • Ortegacoauthor
  • Ransomcoauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

  1. 2026-09-27

    Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 645, Statutes of 2026.

    became-law

  2. 2026-09-27

    Approved by the Governor.

    executive-signature

  3. 2026-09-04

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.

    executive-receipt

  4. 2026-08-28

    Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 30. Noes 10.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  5. 2026-08-28

    In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  6. 2026-08-27

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate.

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  7. 2026-08-27

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 46. Noes 18. Page 6743.) Ordered to the Senate.

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  8. 2026-08-18

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  9. 2026-08-17

    Assembly Rule 63 suspended.

  10. 2026-08-17

    Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  11. 2026-08-17

    From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 3.) (August 13).

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  12. 2026-08-05

    August 5 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.

  13. 2026-06-15

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  14. 2026-06-11

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 2.) (June 10).

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  15. 2026-05-07

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on U. & E.

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  16. 2026-05-04

    Referred to Com. on U. & E.

    referral-committee

  17. 2026-01-27

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

    reading-1

  18. 2026-01-27

    Reconsideration granted. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 3301.)

  19. 2026-01-27

    Motion to reconsider made by Senator McNerney.

  20. 2026-01-27

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 30. Noes 10. Page 3302.) Ordered to the Assembly.

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  21. 2026-01-27

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 31. Noes 9. Page 3297.) Ordered to the Assembly.

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  22. 2026-01-22

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 3268.) (January 22).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  23. 2026-01-22

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  24. 2026-01-21

    Set for hearing January 22.

  25. 2026-01-20

    January 20 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  26. 2026-01-15

    Set for hearing January 20.

  27. 2026-01-15

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  28. 2026-01-14

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 3. Page 3203.) (January 12).

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  29. 2026-01-05

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E., U & C.

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  30. 2025-12-23

    Set for hearing January 12.

  31. 2025-04-24

    April 29 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.

  32. 2025-04-11

    Set for hearing April 29.

  33. 2025-04-08

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E., U & C.

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  34. 2025-04-02

    Re-referred to Com. on E., U & C.

    referral-committee

  35. 2025-03-24

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  36. 2025-02-19

    Referred to Com. on RLS.

    referral-committee

  37. 2025-02-12

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 14.

  38. 2025-02-11

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

    introduction,reading-1,referral-committee

Versions

  • 02/11/25 - Introduced — 2025-02-11Compare
  • 03/24/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-03-24Compare
  • 04/08/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-04-08Compare
  • 01/05/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-01-05Compare
  • 01/15/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-01-15Compare
  • 05/07/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-05-07Compare
  • 06/15/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-06-15Compare
  • 08/17/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-08-17Compare
  • 08/31/26 - Enrolled — 2026-08-31Compare
  • 09/27/26 - Chaptered — 2026-09-27Compare
  • SB327Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2026-01-12 · pass · 10-3

    Member-level votes (17)
    • McNerney: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Becker: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Hurtado: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Dahle: no
    • Ochoa Bogh: no
    • Strickland: no
    • Grove: other
    • Ashby: other
    • Limón: other
    • Gonzalez: other

  • Placed on suspense file

    2026-01-20 · pass · 7-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Wahab: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Richardson: yes

  • Do pass

    2026-01-22 · pass · 5-2

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Richardson: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Dahle: no
    • Seyarto: no

  • 3rd Reading

    2026-01-27 · pass · 30-10

    Member-level votes (41)
    • Durazo: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • McGuire: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Blakespear: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • Pérez: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Hurtado: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Becker: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • McNerney: yes
    • Reyes: yes
    • Limón: yes
    • Menjivar: yes
    • Ochoa Bogh: no
    • Seyarto: no
    • Dahle: no
    • Grove: no
    • Jones: no
    • Niello: no
    • Alvarado-Gil: no
    • Choi: no
    • Valladares: no
    • Strickland: no
    • Valladares: yes

  • 3rd Reading SB327 McNerney Reconsider

    2026-01-27 · pass · 40-0

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Reyes: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • McGuire: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • Valladares: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Grove: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Niello: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Blakespear: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • Pérez: yes
    • Ochoa Bogh: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Hurtado: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Becker: yes
    • Jones: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • McNerney: yes
    • Alvarado-Gil: yes
    • Choi: yes
    • Limón: yes
    • Strickland: yes
    • Menjivar: yes

  • Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2026-06-10 · pass · 12-2

    Member-level votes (18)
    • Boerner: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Chen: no
    • Davies: no
    • Patterson: other
    • Calderon: other
    • Wallis: other
    • Ta: other

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB327

Attribution

Data from openstates_api_sync, retrieved 2026-09-29T23:17:26.091056Z

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