Public Utilities Commission: fees.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities. Existing law allows the commission to charge and collect a fee of $75 for filing each application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity, or for the mortgage, lease, transfer, or assignment of a certificate. This bill would instead require the fee to not exceed the reasonable costs to the commission for filing these applications. The bill would authorize the fee in an amount not to exceed $500 and would authorize the commission to adjust this fee based on the Consumer Price Index. Existing law establishes the Public Utilities Commission Utilities Reimbursement Account and generally provides that all fees and charges collected under the Public Utilities Code from each public utility, except penalties, be paid into the fund. Other existing law provides that specified fees, including, but not limited to, the fee for filing each application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity, or for the mortgage, lease, transfer, or assignment of a certificate, are required to be paid at least once each month into the State Treasury to the credit of the General Fund. This bill would repeal the provision that requires certain fees to be paid at least once each month into the State Treasury to the credit of the General Fund.