AB 2700
Electrical corporations: wildfire victim restitution shortfalls: report.
Vote required
Majority
Fiscal committee
No
Appropriation
No
Current location
Appropriations
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Sign in to take action- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Bill overview
This bill requires the California Public Utilities Commission to investigate and report on the outstanding restitution payments owed to victims of wildfires caused by electrical corporations that occurred before July 12, 2019. The report will identify these shortfalls and recommend ways for electrical corporations to address them, ensuring victims receive fair compensation. Importantly, the recommendations cannot involve recovering these payments through rates.
Key provisions
- The Public Utilities Commission must generate a report on wildfire restitution shortfalls.
- The report must cover wildfires caused by electrical corporations before July 12, 2019.
- The report must identify verified restitution shortfalls.
- The commission must recommend mechanisms for electrical corporations to address these shortfalls.
- Recommendations cannot authorize rate recovery for restitution payments.
Who is affected
- Victims of wildfires caused by electrical corporations
- Electrical corporations
- California Public Utilities Commission
- The Legislature
- The Governor
Notable changes
- This bill specifically focuses on restitution shortfalls from wildfires before July 12, 2019.
- It mandates a report and recommendations, rather than immediate action.
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AB2700:v95#DOCUMENT
Bill Start
| Amended IN Senate June 24, 2026 |
| Amended IN Assembly May 18, 2026 |
| Amended IN Assembly March 23, 2026 |
| Amended IN Assembly March 10, 2026 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 2700
| Introduced by Assembly Member Gallagher Patterson (Coauthor: Assembly Member Hadwick) |
| February 20, 2026 |
An act to add Section 719.3 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to electricity.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2700, as amended, Gallagher Patterson. Electrical corporations: wildfire victim restitution shortfalls: report.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law requires the Wildfire Fund Administrator, in consultation with the commission and other entities, to prepare and submit to the Legislature and the Governor a report that evaluates and sets forth recommendations on new models or approaches that mitigate damage, accelerate recovery, and responsibly and equitable allocate burdens from natural catastrophes, including catastrophic wildfires, across stakeholders, as provided.
This bill would require the commission, on or before January 1, 2028, to generate a report assessing the verified restitution shortfalls for victims of wildfires caused by electrical corporations occurring before July 12, 2019. The bill would further require the commission to recommend mechanisms for electrical corporations to address those shortfalls, as provided.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO
Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 719.3 is added to the Public Utilities Code, immediately following Section 719, to read:
719.3.
On or before January 1, 2028, the commission shall generate a report assessing the verified restitution shortfalls for victims of wildfires caused by electrical corporations occurring before July 12, 2019, and recommend mechanisms for electrical corporations to address those verified restitution shortfalls to ensure victims are fully and fairly compensated in a timely manner while supporting long-term rate stability. The recommendations shall not include any measures that authorize rate recovery for restitution payments.