SB 742: Electricity: electrical infrastructure: permanently abandoned transmission facilities: emergency response: liaisons.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law requires electrical corporations to construct, maintain, and operate their electrical lines and equipment in a manner that will minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfire, as specified. Existing law requires electrical corporations to annually prepare and submit wildfire mitigation plans to the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety for review and approval.

This bill would require the commission, on or before January 1, 2028, to update a general order to require each electrical corporation to remove all permanently abandoned transmission facilities, as specified.

This bill would require that an electrical corporation’s wildfire mitigation plan also include an accounting of all transmission facilities, including permanently abandoned transmission facilities, as defined, and include a plan for how and when each permanently abandoned transmission facility will be removed and the wildfire mitigation measures that are being implemented to prevent hazards, as provided.

Under existing law, a violation of any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime.

Because a violation of a commission action implementing this bill’s requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, establishes, within the office of the Governor, the Office of Emergency Services (OES) under the supervision of the Director of Emergency Services. Existing law requires OES to establish a standardized emergency management system for use by all emergency response agencies.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 2

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. September 29, 2026Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 769, Statutes of 2026.
2. September 29, 2026Approved by the Governor.
3. August 30, 2026Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 6 p.m.
4. August 25, 2026Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
5. August 24, 2026In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
6. August 24, 2026Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 6389.) Ordered to the Senate.
7. August 13, 2026Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
8. August 13, 2026From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 13).
9. August 13, 2026Assembly Rule 63 suspended.
10. August 5, 2026August 5 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.
11. June 15, 2026Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
12. June 11, 2026From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 18. Noes 0.) (June 10).