CA SB 797
deadElectric utility distribution and transmission system facilities: undergrounding and insulation.
California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · upper
Quick answers
Did CA SB 797 pass?
No. CA SB 797 did not pass — it was defeated or died in the legislative process (2026-02-02). Latest recorded action (2026-02-02): Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
What is CA SB 797 about?
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Under existing law, it is the policy of the state that each electrical corporation continue to operate its electric distribution grid in its service territory and to do so in a safe, reliable, efficient, and cost-effective manner. This bill would require the commission, until January 1, 2031, to form a working group to study the cost of undergrounding and insulating overhead electric utility distribution system facilities or transmission system facilities, compile wildfire mitigation reports of electric utilities, and provide the Legislature, on or before July 1, 2027, with a plan on how to most effectively invest in undergrounding and insulating those facilities or how to otherwise support electrical corporations, as provided.
Who sponsors CA SB 797?
Choi is the primary sponsor of CA SB 797.
Description
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Under existing law, it is the policy of the state that each electrical corporation continue to operate its electric distribution grid in its service territory and to do so in a safe, reliable, efficient, and cost-effective manner. This bill would require the commission, until January 1, 2031, to form a working group to study the cost of undergrounding and insulating overhead electric utility distribution system facilities or transmission system facilities, compile wildfire mitigation reports of electric utilities, and provide the Legislature, on or before July 1, 2027, with a plan on how to most effectively invest in undergrounding and insulating those facilities or how to otherwise support electrical corporations, as provided.
- Introduced
- 2025-02-21
- Latest action
- 2026-02-02 — Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Choiauthor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
2025-02-21
Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
introduction,referral-committee
2025-02-24
Read first time.
reading-1
2025-02-24
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 24.
2025-03-12
Referred to Com. on RLS.
referral-committee
2025-03-26
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
2025-04-02
Re-referred to Coms. on E.Q. and E., U & C.
referral-committee
2025-04-04
Set for hearing April 23.
2025-04-09
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E.Q.
amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-04-22
Set for hearing April 29 in E., U & C. pending receipt.
2025-04-23
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on E., U & C. (Ayes 8. Noes 0. Page 867.) (April 23). Re-referred to Com. on E., U & C.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2025-05-05
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 1. Page 935.) (April 29).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2025-05-06
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-05-09
Set for hearing May 19.
2025-05-19
May 19 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-05-20
Set for hearing May 23.
2025-05-23
May 23 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.
2026-02-02
Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
failure
Versions
Documents
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
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- text/html
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Votes
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Energy, Utilities and Communications]
2025-04-23 · pass · 8-0
Member-level votes (8)
- Pérez: yes
- Hurtado: yes
- Menjivar: yes
- Dahle: yes
- Padilla: yes
- Gonzalez: yes
- Valladares: yes
- Blakespear: yes
Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2025-04-29 · pass · 13-1
Member-level votes (17)
- Arreguín: yes
- Hurtado: yes
- Allen: yes
- McNerney: yes
- Strickland: yes
- Stern: yes
- Ochoa Bogh: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Dahle: yes
- Gonzalez: yes
- Ashby: yes
- Rubio: yes
- Archuleta: yes
- Wahab: no
- Limón: other
- Grove: other
- Becker: other
Placed on suspense file
2025-05-19 · pass · 5-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Wahab: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Seyarto: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Cabaldon: other
- Dahle: other
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T01:34:27.960412Z
Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:
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