Public Advocate's Office: appointment of the director.

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities. Existing law establishes within the commission the independent Public Advocate's Office of the Public Utilities Commission to represent and advocate on behalf of the interests of public utility customers and subscribers within the commission's jurisdiction. Existing law requires the director of the Public Advocate's Office to be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate. This bill would instead require the director of the Public Advocate's Office to be appointed for an initial 4-year term by the Speaker of the Assembly and for a consecutive 4-year term by the President pro Tempore of the Senate. Upon the expiration of those terms, the bill would require the authority to appoint the director to rotate every 4 years between the Speaker of the Assembly and the President pro Tempore of the Senate. The bill would require the director to serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority and would require a vacancy to be filled by the appointing authority for the remainder of the 4-year term.