Bills

AB 3247: Public Advocate’s Office: appointment of the director.

  • Session Year: 2023-2024
  • House: Assembly
  • Latest Version Date: 2024-03-11

Current Status:

Failed

(2024-07-01: In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.)

Introduced

In Committee

First Chamber

In Committee

Second Chamber

Enacted

Version:

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities. Existing law establishes within the commission the independent Public Advocates Office of the Public Utilities Commission to represent and advocate on behalf of the interests of public utility customers and subscribers within the commissions jurisdiction. Existing law requires the director of the Public Advocates Office to be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate.

This bill would instead require the director of the Public Advocates Office to be appointed for an initial 4-year term by the Speaker of the Assembly and for a consecutive 4-year term by the President pro Tempore of the Senate. Upon the expiration of those terms, the bill would require the authority to appoint the director to rotate every 4 years between the Speaker of the Assembly and the President pro Tempore of the Senate. The bill would require the director to serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority and would require a vacancy to be filled by the appointing authority for the remainder of the 4-year term.

The Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act of 2006 establishes a procedure for the Public Utilities Commission to issue state franchises for the provision of video service, defined as video programming services, cable service, or open-video system service, except any video programming provided by a commercial mobile service provider, as defined in federal law, or video programming provided as part of, and via, a service that enables users to access content, information, email, or other services offered over the public internet.This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to the provision naming that act.

News Coverage:

AB 3247: Public Advocate’s Office: appointment of the director. | Digital Democracy