Public utilities: contracting.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities. Existing law requires the commission to require every electrical, gas, water, wireless telecommunications service provider, and telephone corporation with annual gross revenues exceeding $25,000,000, and their regulated subsidiaries and affiliates, to annually submit a detailed and verifiable plan for increasing procurement from women, minority, disabled veteran, and LGBT business enterprises, as defined, in all categories, including, but not limited to, renewable energy, wireless telecommunications, broadband, smart grid, and rail projects. The commission, by its rulemaking authority, has adopted General Order 156, applicable to certain electrical, gas, and telephone corporations, to effectuate these and related requirements. Existing law requires the commission, by September 1 of each year, to report certain information relative to those activities undertaken in the implementation of those plans. This bill would replace the term "LGBT business enterprise" with "LGBTQ business enterprise" for those purposes, and would make conforming changes. The bill would require the report to also include information that differentiates the outreach, contracting, and other activities implementing those plans that are directed towards business enterprises that have at least a majority of their workforce in California from those activities that are directed towards out-of-state business enterprises, business enterprises that do not have at least a majority of their workforce within California, and business enterprises for which information is not readily accessible. Under existing law, a violation of any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because a violation of the commission's order or decision implementing the bill's requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.