WHO?
Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego)
WHAT?
Jones will present his Senate Bill 1326, also known as the “Cost of Living Reduction Act” in the Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee. The measure aims to immediately repeal an unfair law authorizing the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to impose an uncapped, fixed charge on electrical bills.
WHERE?
Swing Space Hearing Room 1200
1021 O Street
Sacramento, CA, 95814
A live stream of the hearing will be available on the Senate website.
WHEN?
TODAY, Monday, April 22, 2024 at 3:00PM (or upon adjournment of Senate Floor Session)
For media interested in an interview with Leader Jones before or after the hearing, please contact Nina Krishel by email nina.krishel@sen.ca.gov or phone (818) 274-4305.
WHY?
In 2022, Democrat lawmakers passed Assembly Bill 205 to mandate that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) add uncapped, income-graduated fixed charges on investor-owned utility ratepayers. The CPUC has proposed a $24.15 fixed charge for traditional customers, a $12 fixed charge for FERA customers, and a $6 charge for CARE customers. While the CPUC’s decision to implement a fixed charge of $24.15 per month is an improvement over the utilities’ proposals, which would have added a fixed charge of up to $128 per month, it is still too high. Leader Jones contends that the fixed charge remains excessive, especially considering its uncapped nature under current law, allowing the CPUC to increase the charge arbitrarily at any time.
Leader Jones’s Cost of Living Reduction Act will immediately repeal the provisions of AB 205 that mandated the CPUC to impose this uncapped, fixed charge on electrical bills.