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SENATE BILL 52 (ROSENTHAL – 1989)
CHAPTER 484, STATUTES OF 1989
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Section 854 of the Public Utilities Code was amended in 1989 by Senate Bill 52, introduced by Senator Herschel Rosenthal on December 5, 1988. (See Exhibit A, #1a) The bill, which was a single-section measure proposing to affect only the language of section 854, was heard in the Senate Committee on Energy and Public Utilities and the Senate Committee on Appropriations. (See Exhibit A, #3 and #7) Senator Rosenthal served as chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Public Utilities at the time the bill was being reviewed by this committee. (See Exhibit A, #16, document A-35)
In the Assembly, the measure was considered by the Committee on Utilities and Commerce and the Committee on Ways and Means. (See Exhibit A, #10 and #12) The bill was amended twice while pending in the Senate and three times while pending in the Assembly before being approved by the Legislature on August 25, 1989. (See Exhibit A, #1b through #1f and #2) Senate Bill 52 was signed by Governor George Deukmejian on September 15, 1989, and filed with the Secretary of State on September 18, 1989 as Chapter 484 of the Statutes of 1989. (See Exhibit A, #1g and #2)
For a summary of Senate Bill 52 in its final amended form, you should refer to the Unfinished Business analysis prepared by the Office of Senate Floor Analyses. (See Exhibit A, #15) That analysis sets forth the Assembly amendments to the Senate’s proposal as well as who supported and opposed the bill. (Id.)
The analysis of the Senate Committee on Energy and Public Utilities described the bill as follows:
. . . would prohibit the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) from approving large electric, gas and telephone utility mergers unless it found such mergers to be fair and reasonable to ratepayers, shareholders, utility employees, competitors and affected communities.
(See Exhibit A, #3, page 1)