AB 2623 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Public utilities: rate changes: notifications.

Summary

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory jurisdiction over public utilities. Existing law, except as provided, prohibits a public utility from making a change in a rate or classification, or in a rule or contract relating to, or affecting, a rate, classification, or service, or in a privilege or facility, unless the public utility provides 30 days' notice, as specified, to the commission and the public. Under existing law, a violation of this requirement is a crime. This bill would extend the notice requirement to 60 days' notice. By expanding the scope of a crime, this 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.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 20, 2026 Last action Mar 17, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

02/20/26 - Introduced → 03/16/26 - Amended Assembly · 4 edits · Mar 16, 2026

MODERATE

AB 2623 was substantially expanded from a minor Housekeeping fix to the State Air Resources Board's enabling language into a bill that also extends the public utility rate-change notice period from 30 days to 60 days under Public Utilities Code Section 491. The amendment adds a new first section making this change, renumbers the original air board provision to Section 3, and adds a reimbursement waiver in Section 2. The longer notice period gives consumers and the Public Utilities Commission more time to review proposed rate changes before they take effect.

Scope change

The bill expanded from a narrow nonsubstantive cleanup of the State Air Resources Board's statutory language to a substantive regulatory change affecting all public utilities in California by doubling their required advance notice period for rate and service changes from 30 to 60 days.

REQUIREMENT

Public utilities must now provide 60 days' notice (up from 30 days) to the Public Utilities Commission and the public before making any change in rates, classifications, rules, contracts, privileges, or facilities. The 'good cause' exception where the commission can allow shorter notice is also updated from 30 to 60 days as the baseline.

FISCAL

A new Section 2 provides that no state reimbursement is required under Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only local agency costs stem from the expanded scope of an existing crime (violating the notice requirement).

SCOPE

The bill's scope expanded from a single nonsubstantive amendment to Health and Safety Code Section 39600 (air pollution) to also include a substantive amendment to Public Utilities Code Section 491 (public utility rate changes). The legislative digest now covers both topics.

ENFORCEMENT

The state-mandated local program designation changed from 'no' to 'yes' because extending the notice requirement from 30 to 60 days expands the scope of an existing crime, which triggers local program obligations. The fiscal committee review also changed from 'no' to 'yes.'

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Mar 17, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on U. & E.

lower

Mar 16, 2026

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on U. & E. Read second time and amended.

lower

Mar 16, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on U. & E.

lower

Feb 21, 2026

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors