Public Utilities Commission: organization.

Assembly Member Patterson's proposal to enhance ethical oversight at the California Public Utilities Commission centers on two key changes to the commission's operations. The legislation requires the commission to establish an online portal or email address for reporting ethics concerns by July 1, 2026, while maintaining the existing ethics officer's role in providing confidential guidance on conflict of interest rules and ex parte communication limitations.

The bill also creates new restrictions on staff participation in commission proceedings. Commission employees would be prohibited from working on any proceeding where they previously appeared on formal filings or sponsored testimony before joining the commission. This provision adds to the commission's existing ethical framework, which includes mandatory ethics training for commissioners and staff members through the legal division's ethics officer.

These modifications to the Public Utilities Code build upon the commission's current ethics infrastructure, where an ethics officer within the legal division oversees training programs and provides confidential consultation to commissioners and employees regarding the commission's ethical guidelines. The ethics officer maintains advisor confidentiality unless explicitly waived by the individual seeking guidance.