Electricity and natural gas: legislation imposing mandated programs and requirements: third-party review.

Assembly Member Pacheco's proposal to establish a legislative analysis program within California's Public Advocate's Office aims to evaluate the ratepayer impacts of utility-related legislation. The measure would require the office to analyze, upon legislative request, any proposed mandates affecting electrical or gas corporation customers.

Under the program, which would launch by January 2027, the Public Advocate's Office would examine legislation for potential rate increases across customer categories, ratepayer benefits related to service reliability and safety, and alignment with existing climate policies. The analysis would also catalog current utility mandates, assess economic and employment effects, evaluate impacts on disadvantaged communities, and explore alternative funding sources beyond ratepayer fees. Legislative committee chairs, the Assembly Speaker, or the Senate President pro Tempore could request these reviews.

The bill includes provisions to prevent conflicts of interest by prohibiting individuals with material financial interests from participating in analyses. The state would indemnify the office and its personnel against claims arising from these reviews. The program would operate for five years, with the authorizing statute set to expire on January 1, 2032.