Public Utilities Commission: ex parte communications.

Existing law establishes various requirements for ex parte communication between the Public Utilities Commission and interested parties for ratesetting cases and catastrophic wildfire proceedings and, among other things, authorizes the commission, by order or rule, to prohibit ex parte communications. Existing law authorizes written ex parte communications by an interested person to be permitted in ratesetting cases and catastrophic wildfire proceedings if copies of the communication are transmitted to all parties on the same day as the original communication, and requires the commission to establish a quiet period during the 3 business days before the commission's scheduled vote on a decision in ratesetting cases and catastrophic wildfire proceedings, during which oral and written ex parte communications are prohibited. This bill would authorize the commission, by order or rule, to prohibit oral ex parte communications, rather than all ex parte communications, in ratesetting cases and catastrophic wildfire proceedings. The bill would expressly authorize a written ex parte communication to occur at any time before the 3 business days before the commission's scheduled vote on a decision without restriction during ratesetting cases and catastrophic wildfire proceedings if copies of the communication are transmitted to all parties on the same day as the original communication. The bill would delete the prohibition on written ex parte communications during the quiet periods of ratesetting cases and catastrophic wildfire proceedings, and would instead authorize an interested person to submit a written ex parte communication during the 3 business days before the commission's scheduled vote on a proposed decision in a ratesetting case or catastrophic wildfire proceeding if the commission materially modifies the proposed decision during that time period, as specified.