California AB2124: Electricity and natural gas: legislation imposing mandated programs and requirements: third-party review.

What the bill says

An act to add and repeal Section 3261 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to energy. energy Electricity and natural gas: legislation imposing mandated programs and requirements: third-party review. Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations…

From the enrolled text, September 1, 2026:

An act to add and repeal Section 3261 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to energy. energy Electricity and natural gas: legislation imposing mandated programs and requirements: third-party review. Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations. Existing law finds and declares that the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) was organized as a nonprofit corporation at the request of the Legislature for the specific purpose of offering expert advice to the state government on public policy issues significantly related to science and technology. Existing law requests the CCST, every 3 years, to assess the infrastructure project types, scale, and pace necessary to achieve the state’s energy, climate change, and air quality goals, as specified. This bill would require the CCST to establish, on or before March 1, 2027, upon appropriation by the Legislature, a program to, upon request of the Legislature, analyze legislation that would establish a mandated requirement or program, as defined, or otherwise affect electrical corporation or gas corporation ratepayers, as specified. The bill would require the analysis to include, among other things, whether the legislation will increase electricity or natural gas utility rates, and if so, would require an assessment of specified financial impacts. The bill would require the CCST to develop and implement …

Read the full official text

Sponsors

• Blanca Pacheco (D, AD64) · primary sponsor
• Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D, AD16) · primary sponsor
• Juan Alanis (R, AD22)
• Laurie Davies (R, AD74)
• Jeff Gonzalez (R, AD36)
• Josh Hoover (R, AD07)
• David Alvarez (D, AD80)
• Ávila Farías, Anamarie (D, AD15)
• Michelle Rodriguez (D, AD53)
• Megan Dahle (R, SD01)
• Melissa Hurtado (D, SD16)
• Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R, SD19)

Latest actions

1. September 18, 2026: Vetoed by Governor.
2. September 4, 2026: Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.
3. August 27, 2026: Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 72. Noes 0. Page 6689.).
4. August 27, 2026: Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 72. Noes 0.).
5. August 27, 2026: In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
6. August 26, 2026: Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 31. Noes 6.).
7. August 17, 2026: Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
8. August 13, 2026: Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
9. August 13, 2026: From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 13).
10. August 3, 2026: In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

Votes

• AB 2124 Pacheco Concurrence in Senate Amendments (August 27, 2026): 72 yea, 0 nay, passed
• Assembly 3rd Reading AB2124 Pacheco et al. By Hurtado (August 26, 2026): 32 yea, 6 nay, passed
• Do pass as amended (August 13, 2026): 7 yea, 0 nay, passed
• Placed on suspense file (August 3, 2026): 7 yea, 0 nay, passed
• Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations] (June 30, 2026): 14 yea, 0 nay, passed
• AB 2124 Pacheco Assembly Third Reading (May 21, 2026): 71 yea, 0 nay, passed

Common questions

What is AB2124?

AB2124 is a bill in the California Legislature (2025-2026 Regular Session): Electricity and natural gas: legislation imposing mandated programs and requirements: third-party review.

What does AB2124 do?

In its own words: An act to add and repeal Section 3261 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to energy. energy Electricity and natural gas: legislation imposing mandated programs and requirements: third-party review. Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations…

What is the status of AB2124?

Vetoed as of September 19, 2026. Latest action: Vetoed by Governor. (September 18, 2026).

Who sponsored AB2124?

Blanca Pacheco (D, AD64), with 11 co-sponsors.

Where is the official record for AB2124?

On the California Legislature website: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2124