NOTE: * denotes urgency legislation
EnergySB 25 (Leonard-R) - Public Utilities: Electric Utilities: Generation Capacity Prohibits the Public Utilities Commission from requiring electric utilities to purchase specified resource additions in the future; however, the commission continues to reserve the ability to conduct reasonableness reviews of those generation resource additions. (Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee) SB 956 (Leonard-R) - Energy Resources: Governmental Reorganization Renames the State Department of Conservation as the State Department of Energy and Conservation (DEC), abolishes the California Energy Commission, and transfers all the commission's responsibilities to DEC. Creates within DEC a 5-member State Energy Facilities Siting Board to succeed the commission's duties related to energy facility and site certification. Also transfers the California Energy Extension Service from the Office of Planning and Research to DEC. (Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee) SB 1441 (Greene-D) - Energy Resources: Federal Oil Overcharge Funds Allocates $150,000 from the Petroleum Violation Escrow Account to the California Energy Commission for a grant to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District for a program to demonstrate the use of photovoltaic technology and building materials in K-12 schools. (Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee) SB 1467 (Johannessen-R) - Energy Resources: Federal Oil Overcharge Funds Allocates $500,000 to the State Department of Transportation for a grant to the City of Redding for constructing a bicycle bridge to transform an existing bike trail into a unifying commuter bikeway. (Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee) SB 1981 (Hurtt-R) - Energy Resources: Vehicles: Federal Oil Overcharge Funds Allocates monies from the Petroleum Violation Escrow Account (1) to provide $4 million to the Department of Consumer Affairs and the State Air Resources Board for the purchase of older, higher-polluting, lower-gas-mileage vehicles so that they may be scrapped and (2) to provide $500,000 to the Department of General Services to design and operate a data base which compares the life-cycle costs of alternatively fueled vehicles. (Failed passage in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee) SB 2107 (Alquist-D) - Energy Resources: Federal Oil Overcharge Funds Appropriates $11,551,000 in Petroleum Violation Escrow Account (PVEA) funds for various energy savings and related types of projects. In addition, makes various reappropriations of past PVEA appropriations (primarily AB 1671, Katz, of 1995) which are necessary for technical purposes. (Died on Senate Unfinished Business File) AB 1852 (Sher-D) - Energy Resources: Low-Emission Heavy-Duty Trucks Appropriates $10 million of Petroleum Violation Escrow Account funds to create the California State Implementation Plan Heavy- Duty Truck Fund for the purpose of providing grants to purchasers of low-emission, heavy-duty trucks. (Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee) AB 1867* (Villaraigosa-D) - Energy Resources: Federal Oil Overcharge Funds A clean-up bill to the 1995 Petroleum Violation Escrow Account legislation, makes technical corrections and project clarifications to various projects which were already approved in the 1995 appropriation. Does not change project amounts. (Died in Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee) AB 2702 (Bowler-R) - Petroleum Violation Escrow Account: Appropriation Appropriate $35,639,281 from the Petroleum Violation Escrow Account to the California Energy Commission and the State Department of Transportation for grants for specified purposes. (Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)UtilitiesSB 25 (Leonard-R) - Electric Utilities: Generation Capacity Prohibits the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) from requiring electric utilities to purchase specified resource additions in the future; however, the PUC continues to reserve the ability to conduct reasonableness reviews of those generation resource additions. Does not apply to municipal electric utilities. (Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee) SB 185* (Kopp-I) - Public Utilities: Carriers Shifts the regulation of motor carrier registration, insurance and safety requirements from the Public Utilities Commission to the California Highway Patrol and the Department of Motor Vehicles. Imposes an excise tax on diesel fuel, and imposes fees on motor carriers of property to cover the cost of the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Fund. Also imposes a uniform business license tax on motor carriers of property to be deposited in the Motor Carriers Uniform Business License Tax Account for disbursement to cities and counties. (Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee) SB 207* (Polanco-D) - Telecommunications Services: Rates Requires the Public Utilities Commission to develop, by October 1, 1996, a competitively neutral, broad-based program to help ensure that telephone service is widely available and affordable. Chapter 750, Statutes of 1996 SB 415* (Thompson-D) - Public Utilities: Carriers Eliminates the procedure for settling claims made by highway carriers or their assignees against shippers of freight regarding undercharges by that carrier. Prohibits a highway carrier, a freight forwarder, or any representative or assignee of a carrier or freight forwarder from collecting or attempting to collect any additional charge in excess of the originally billed negotiated rate, except when mistakes are acknowledged by both parties or that are the result of intentional misrepresentation by the shipper. Chapter 72, Statutes of 1996 SB 610 (Leonard-R) - Consumer Contracts: Cable Television Establishes a statutory late fee provision for cable television services. Prohibits sellers or providers of cable television services from imposing delinquency fees on unpaid accounts, unless specified requirements are met. Specifies that the delinquency fee that may be imposed by a seller or provider of cable television services may not exceed $4.75, as specified. Chapter 666, Statutes of 1996 SB 678 (Polanco-D) - Public Utilities: Natural Gas Surcharge: Public Policy Programs Requests a study to ensure that all end users of natural gas share in the funding of state-mandated, low-income customer programs. Chapter 285, Statutes of 1996 SB 960 (Leonard-R) - Public Utilities Commission: Administrative Procedures Creates within the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) a consumer advocacy division to represent consumer interests before the commission, changes the internal processes within the PUC to require greater involvement of PUC commissioners in all aspects of commission decision-making, and creates 3 classes of cases within the PUC: adjudication, rate setting, and quasi-legislative. Chapter 856, Statutes of 1996 SB 1032 (Calderon-D) - Telephones: Mobile Radios Requires the Public Utilities Commission to study and report to the Legislature, by January 1, 1998, on the effect of the federal preemption of state regulatory authority over wireless telephone services. (Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee) SB 1035 (Peace-D) - Public Utilities: Telephones Prohibits a telephone company from charging for unlisted telephone service, and requires "Caller I.D." of telemarketers. Chapter 675, Statutes of 1996 SB 1099 (Alquist-D) - Public Utilities: Water Corporations Allows water corporations to use the proceeds from the sale of unnecessary assets prior to January 1, 1996 to reinvest in water infrastructure, within an 8-year period. Chapter 965, Statutes of 1996 SB 1140 (Peace-D) - Public Utilities: Telephones Tightens the procedures by which a residential telephone customer's provider of service may be changed (i.e., changing long-distance companies from MCI to AT&T). Chapter 358, Statutes of 1996 SB 1142 (Peace-D) - Telephone Sellers: Non-Solicitation Register Allows California telephone subscribers, after paying a fee of $5 or less, to place themselves on a "Do-Not-Call" list for all telephone solicitations, removes the current 21 exemptions from the regulation of telephone sellers, and penalizes businesses for calls made to the list. Requires the Department of Consumer Affairs to establish the registry for the telephone numbers of those consumers who do not want to receive telephone solicitations. (Failed passage in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee) SB 1322 (Calderon-D) - Public Utilities Commission: Judicial Review Grants to courts of appeal jurisdiction to review Public Utilities Commission (PUC) decisions. Broadens the bases for judicial review and reversal of quasi-judicial PUC decisions, as specified. Provides that a party affected by a PUC decision is able to file an appeal with the Court of Appeal if the PUC has granted a rehearing in the case but has failed to render a decision within 120 days of granting the rehearing request. Chapter 855, Statutes of 1996 SB 1657 (Dills-D) - Public Utilities: Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises Requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish a reasonable participation goal for disabled veteran business enterprises, by January 31, 1997, for contracts awarded by any electrical, gas, or telephone company for construction, professional services, material, supplies, equipment, alterations or improvement. Vetoed by the Governor SB 1662 (Kelley-R) - Public Utilities: Carriers Extends for 1 year, until January 1, 1998, the sunset clause of various Public Utilities Code statutes dealing with transportation. (These statutes have the effect of ensuring the Public Utilities Commission's continued authority to regulate transportation safety and insurance requirements.) Chapter 1037, Statutes of 1996 SB 1886 (Russell-R) - Public Utilities: Electricity Prohibits a privately owned or publicly owned public utility from providing partial or full electric service to an existing retail customer, as of December 20, 1995, of another privately owned or publicly owned utility unless the customer first enters into an agreement with the utility currently providing electric service, to pay a non-bypassable severance fee or competitive transition charge established by the regulatory body for the utility. (Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Commerce Committee) SB 1896 (Costa-D) - Local Agency Fees: Public Utilities Enacts the California Telecommunications Infrastructure Development Act which clearly states that permit fees related to telecommunications cannot exceed the reasonable costs of providing the service for which the fee is charged and cannot be levied for general revenue purposes. Chapter 300, Statutes of 1996 SB 1952 (Mello-D) - Public Utilities: Economic Development Designates that economic development utility rates be applied to industries or businesses located in federal rural enterprise communities. Chapter 215, Statutes of 1996 SB 2017 (Kopp-I) - Public Utilities: Damages Requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish procedures for, and accept, claims made against gas and electric utilities for damages to property that result from the negligence of the utility in restoring service after various types of disasters (fire, flood, earthquake, etc.). (Failed passage in Assembly Judiciary Committee) SB 2088 (Russell-R) - Public Utilities: Telephones Requires that cellular telephone companies (1) maintain rate lists available for public inspection, (2) offer their services both as a package and as individually by service element, (3) not restrict the ability of a reseller to purchase or resell cellular telephone service, and (4) make available to resellers all services offered to others on the same terms and conditions. (Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Commerce Committee) SB 2103 (Haynes-R) - Electric Service Duplication Provides private electric utilities with a right to compensation when public agencies construct facilities to provide electric service within the private utility's service area. (Died in Senate Judiciary Committee) SB 2143 (Hurtt-R) - Public Utilities: Rights Provides that public utilities and other service suppliers shall not be liable to any customer as a result of collecting various taxes imposed by public entities. Grants various rights to, and imposes various requirements on, public utilities and other service suppliers and imposes new duties on local agencies with respect to the imposition, repeal, or collection of those taxes. Also allows water corporations to use the proceeds from the sale of unnecessary assets prior to January 1, 1996 to reinvest in water infrastructure, within an 8-year period. (Sent to Senate Local Government Committee due to a Senate Rule 29.10 violation; died in comittee) SCA 21 (Peace-D) - Public Utilities Commission Repeals those sections of Article XII of the California Constitution, which established the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), its membership and terms; but retains provisions dealing with prohibition of free rail passes and plenary powers of the Legislature over the PUC. (Died in Conference Committee) AB 118 (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities: Insurance Documents Provides that it is a "wobbler" to knowingly and willfully file fictitious insurance documents portraying evidence of mandated insurance coverage to the Public Utilities Commission. Exempts the felony portion from the "Three Strikes" law. (Died on Assembly Inactive File awaiting concurrence in Senate amendments) AB 288 (Cannella-D) - Public Utilities: Disclosure Expands public utility disclosure by allowing all peace officers access to information relevant and material to an investigation relating to unlawful drug trafficking or manufacturing. Provides that no public utility, or official or employee thereof, shall be subject to criminal or civil liability for the release of customer information in reasonable reliance on a statement of probable cause appearing on its face to be valid. (Failed passage in Senate Judiciary Committee) AB 584 (Rainey-R) - East Bay Municipal Utility District Imposes specified restrictions on the tiered pricing water rates of the East Bay Municipal Utility District. (Died in Senate Agriculture and Water Resources Committee) AB 622 (Conroy-R) - Electric and Gas Service: Master-Meter Customers Provides a procedure for the transfer of master-meter electricity and gas systems from existing mobilehome park owners to the state's utility system. Chapter 424, Statutes of 1996 AB 648* (Cannella-D) - Electricity: Rates for Food Processors Establishes an experimental 3-year program giving qualified food processors the authority to purchase power directly from available power producers, rather than from the Public Utilities Commission-regulated utilities; and allows the electricity to be "wheeled" over the existing transmission and distribution system of the regulated electrical corporation. (Failed passage in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee) AB 689 (McPherson-R) - Household Goods Carriers Requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to annually investigate every household goods carrier listed in every classified telephone directory to determine whether or not those businesses are operating with the proper authorization. For those businesses in violation of operating laws, requires the PUC to have the telephone utility disconnect the telephone service to those businesses. (Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee) AB 845 (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities: Electric and Gas-Fueled Vehicles Prohibits the Public Utilities Commission from allowing a public utility to use funds paid by ratepayers for rebates on the purchases of electric vehicle batteries and/or electric vehicles. (Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee) AB 993* (Martinez-D) - Electricity: Rates Requires the Public Utilities Commission, in any proceeding that restructures the provision of electrical services, to provide for a more competitive market and to follow specified guidelines designed to protect ratepayer interests. (Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee) AB 1048 (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities: Electrical Corporations Requires every electrical corporation regulated by the Public Utilities Commission to provide transmission service to a non- regulated power producer on terms and at rates comparable to its own use. (Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee) AB 1095 (Martinez-D) - Public Utilities: Gas Corporations: Public Disclosure Allows gas utilities to keep confidential specific information contained in contracts negotiated with ratepayers in competitive markets, where the terms and conditions differ from the rates and terms on file with the Public Utilities Commission. Chapter 8, Statutes of 1996 AB 1121 (Conroy-R) - Telecommunications: Federal Law: Conflicts Provides that any provision of the Public Utilities Act that is in conflict with federal law shall not apply to wireless telecommunications service to the extent of that conflict. Provides the Public Utilities Commission with the authority to exempt wireless communications services from filing tariffs, which are required under current law. Chapter 574, Statutes of 1996 AB 1123* (Sher-D) - Public Utilities: Electrical Corporations Provides mechanisms for the continuation of the environmental and social programs presently subsidized by surcharges to ratepayer bills. Also ensures that equal access will be provided to all ratepayers without regard to the source of the power, whether provided by a utility or an independent power producer. (Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee) AB 1202 (Woods-R) - Public Utilities: Electrical Generation Mandates the establishment of a renewables portfolio standard and a biomass portfolio standard. Also mandates that the state's utilities and self generators purchase a percentage of 1993 levels of electricity supply from renewable resource electricity generators; creates a misdemeanor for noncompliance, assigns governance duties to the California Energy Commission and assigns reporting requirements. Calls for an equitable allocation of the charge for these resources on the distribution system. (Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee) AB 1359 (Knowles-R) - Public Utilities: Construction Authorizes the creation of a joint powers authority to participate in the construction of a facility on the North Fork of the American River at the El Dorado/Placer County line if the U.S. Congress authorizes the construction of the facility. (Died in Senate Rules Committee) AB 1588 (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities Act: Telecommunications Services Permits the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to exempt the smaller local telephone companies from the goal of opening all telecommunications markets to competition by January 1, 1997. Also permits the PUC to delay the completion of the rules facilitating competition for the smaller local telephone companies until January 1, 1998. (Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee) AB 1683* (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities: Carriers Transfers existing transportation safety programs from the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to the Department of Motor Vehicles and the California Highway Patrol. Affects only programs related to motor carriers of property. Imposes a different fee structure than the current structure utilized by the PUC and provides for penalties more severe than in current law. Also makes conforming changes in recognition of recent federal law preempting rate regulation of motor carriers of property. Chapter 1042, Statutes of 1996 AB 1768 (Martinez-D) - Public Utilities Commission: Reports Requires the Public Utilities Commission to submit to the Legislature a report of all of the commission's transactions and proceedings for the preceding fiscal year, along with suggestions and recommendations it deems of value, by December 1 of each year. (This is the same report sent to the Governor each year.) (Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee) AB 1770* (Brewer-R) - Public Utilities: Services to Tenants Establishes a utility deposit system for municipally-owned and special service district utilities and prohibits the specified utilities from seeking recovery for unpaid accounts from the property owners, except as permitted by local ordinance. Chapter 24, Statutes of 1996 AB 1890* (Brulte-R) - Electric Industry Restructuring Provides the legislative foundation for transforming the regulatory framework of California's electric industry. Creates a new electricity market structure, ending the utility monopoly on generation and opening the generation market to competition, so that retail customers could choose among alternative electric energy suppliers. Provides that the transmission and distribution of electric energy would continue to be regulated monopoly services. Addresses key issues in the transition from the current regulatory framework to a competitive market structure: (1) how to handle the recovery of transition costs, (2) how the new market structure should be organized, (3) how system reliability should be ensured, (4) how the funding of current public purpose programs should be continued, and (5) how consumers should be protected in the new electricity market. Chapter 854, Statutes of 1996 AB 1914 (Escutia-D) - Public Utilities: Gas Corporations Requires gas corporations that own facilities used to deliver natural gas to any school operating in California to inspect the facilities at least once a year. Vetoed by the Governor AB 1953* (Baldwin-R) - Nonprofit Organizations: Use of Beaches; Carrier Exemption Prevents (1) local and state agencies from charging youth groups and camps a special group fee in order to use public beaches and recreation areas, and (2) prevents transportation services provided by youth groups and camps for their youth activities from being regulated by the Public Utilities Commission. Vetoed by the Governor AB 2064* (Bordonaro-R) - Emergencies: Nuclear Radiation Makes a timing adjustment to the funding cycle for Diablo Canyon established in the Radiation Protection Act of 1988 (as amended in 1993). The funding amount is not affected by the bill. Moves the funding schedule for Diablo Canyon forward 1 year so that the funding corresponds with the timing of federally-required emergency response exercises. Chapter 577, Statutes of 1996 AB 2075 (Hannigan-D) - Cellular Radio Telephone Service: Emergency Calls Requires cellular telephone companies, consistent with Federal Communications Commission guidelines, to provide location technologies to public safety answering points on all 911 calls. Requires the Department of General Services to conduct tests of location technologies at several locations, including Yolo County and its adjoining regions. (Failed passage in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee) AB 2203 (Rainey-R) - East Bay Municipal Utility District Authorizes the East Bay Municipal Utility District to impose rates on a tiered or differential basis. (Failed passage on Assembly Floor) AB 2249* (Cannella-D) - Electrical Restructuring Establishes all the conditions necessary to allow direct access on an interim basis by January 1, 1997. Requires electric corporations to make available an interim direct access option for the transmission and distribution services for electricity purchased by consumers who meet required elements, as specified. (Failed passage in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee) AB 2311 (Bustamante-D) - Utilities Programs: Effect of Electrical Restructuring Requires a number of existing statutory public policy programs related to electricity rates to remain effective if the electric industry is restructured. (Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee) AB 2430 (Hauser-D) - Public Utilities: Propane Brings state law into compliance with federal law by including particular types of propane distribution systems under the propane safety inspection program currently administered by the Public Utilities Commission. Streamlines the administration of the propane safety inspection program by removing the State Board of Equalization from the program. Also caps the fee which the owners of the propane distribution systems pay for this safety program at $0.25/month/space. Chapter 651, Statutes of 1996 AB 2444 (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities: Regulation Makes the Public Utilities Commission a statutory agency, rather than a constitutional agency. (Died in Conference Committee) AB 2501 (Kuykendall-R) - Public Utilities: Exempt Wholesale Generators Exempts Federal Energy Regulatory Commission-regulated wholesale electricity generators from Public Utilities Commission jurisdiction, and defines "exempt wholesale generators," for this purpose, as they are defined under federal law. Chapter 853, Statutes of 1996 AB 2549 (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities Commission Prohibits the President of the Public Utilities Commission from serving consecutive 1-year terms. (Died in Conference Committee) AB 2589 (Battin-R) - Public Utilities: Baseline Rates Authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to consider alternate rate design proposals for the purpose of establishing an experimental rate design to provide rate relief for residential customers in Climate Zone 15 (generally the Coachella Valley area). Chapter 848, Statutes of 1996 AB 2597 (Alby-R) - Public Utilities: Electricity Prevents both investor-owned and municipal utilities from providing power to retail customers in each other's service area without having their customers first enter into a contract for competition transition charge (CTC) payment. Provides for the auditing of the costs in any CTC by a 3rd party. Requires rates of return for municipal utilities to be set no higher than those permitted investor-owned utilities. (Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee) AB 2610 (Morrissey-R) - Public Utilities: Electric Generation Requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to study the possible effects of divestiture on the availability of adequate generation. Requires that before the independent system operator and power exchange begin operation under the restructuring, the PUC adopt findings that adequate electric generation capacity will be available. (Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee) AB 2657 (Kaloogian-R) - Coin-Activated Telephones: Reimbursement for Use Requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to fix the amount of fair compensation to pay phone providers for each and every completed intrastate call placed from any pay phone located in this state not paid for by the deposit of coins. Requires pay phone providers to register with the PUC and pay a $25 fee. (Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee) AB 2712 (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities: Telecommunications Conforms California law to the federal Telecommunications Act by requiring the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to conform its rules, practices, and procedures with the federal law, as prescribed in the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-104), wherever the federal law preempts. Wherever federal law does not expressly preempt, requires the PUC to continue to transition the telecommunications industry to open competition. (Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee) AB 2713 (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities: Enforcement Actions Expands the Public Utilities Commission's (PUC) investigative and enforcement powers to (1) give PUC investigators access to state summary criminal information, and (2) to specifically authorize PUC to order termination of telephone services to unlicensed household goods carriers. Chapter 1065, Statutes of 1996 AB 2875 (Vasconcellos-D) - Telecommunications Requires the Public Utilities Commission to investigate the ability of telephone companies to provide and tariff multiple line Integrated Services Digital Network service in this state, and to report its findings to the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee and the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee, by June 1, 1997. (Died in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee) AB 2885 (Brulte-R) - Electrical Industry Restructuring Establishes a Public Utilities Commission permitting procedure for the aggregation of electric customers served by investor-owned utilities and allows public entities to act as aggregators for purchasing electrical power for customers within its jurisdictional boundaries. (Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee) AB 2940 (Brulte-R) - Electrical Industry Restructuring Requires the Public Utilities Commission to take specified actions to facilitate the state's effort to implement electrical restructuring. (Died on Assembly Inactive File) AB 3152 (Martinez-D) - Telephones Extends, for 4 years, the sunset on an existing program to help deaf customers use the telephone. Also requires the Public Utilities Commission to administer a program to make telecommunications devices capable of servicing the needs of the deaf available in public spaces. Funding for this program is through a surcharge not exceeding 0.02% on the telephone bill. Chapter 779, Statutes of 1996 AB 3153 (Aguiar-R) - Electricity Rates Extends the existing January 1, 1999 sunset for the industrial customer interruptible rate program until March 31, 2002, and clarifies that these rates should not rise above June 10, 1996 levels until March 31, 2002. Chapter 780, Statutes of 1996 AB 3155 (Martinez-D) - Public Utilities: Rights Provides that public utilities and other service suppliers shall not be liable for collecting, validating, or refunding taxes imposed by another public entity. Grants rights and imposes duties for the imposition, repeal, or collection of taxes. Provides that a utility is not liable (is held harmless) to any customer for collecting taxes on behalf of a tax imposed on local government and it is not responsible for investigating the validity of a tax or assisting in the refunding of an improperly imposed tax. Chapter 939, Statutes of 1996 AB 3264 (Aguiar-R) - Electricity Rates Extends the January 1, 1999 sunset for the industrial customer interruptible rate program until the completion of the phase-in of direct access in the Public Utilities Commission's December 20, 1996 decision. (Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee) AB 3306* (Brulte-R) - Electrical Industry Restructuring Provides that public utilities and other service suppliers shall not be liable for collecting, validating, or refunding taxes imposed by another public entity. Grants rights and imposes duties for the imposition, repeal, or collection of taxes. Provides that a utility is not liable (is held harmless) to any customer for collecting taxes on behalf of a tax imposed on local government and it is not responsible for investigating the validity of a tax or assisting in the refunding of an improperly imposed tax. (Died in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)