Public Utilities Commission: public participation.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities and can establish its own procedures, subject to the statutory restrictions and constitutional requirements of due process. Existing law requires the commission to appoint an executive director, who, among other things, is responsible for the commission's executive and administrative duties, organizes, coordinates, supervises, and directs the operations and affairs of the commission, and expedites all matters within the commission's jurisdiction. Existing law requires the commission to appoint a public advisor and establish an office of the public advisor, both of which are required, among other things, to perform specified duties relating to public participation in commission proceedings. Existing law requires the public advisor and executive director to publicize the commission's programs for encouraging and supporting participation in the commission's proceedings. This bill would specify that the duty of the public advisor and executive director to publicize those programs includes publishing information about those programs on the commission's Internet Web site.