California Code of Regulations, Title 20

Partial collection: 3 complete publisher documents are included. The complete current publisher inventory has not been verified. Cornell Legal Information Institute edition captured on 2026-10-02. This collection includes complete rule documents. Remaining Cornell documents and the current designated Westlaw edition are not verified.

Division 1 Public Utilities Commission

Chapter 1 Rules of Practice and Procedure

Article 1 General Provisions

Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 20, § 1.1 (Rule 1.1) Ethics

Any person who signs a pleading or brief, enters an appearance, offers testimony at a hearing, or transacts business with the Commission, by such act represents that he or she is authorized to do so and agrees to comply with the laws of this State; to maintain the respect due to the Commission, members of the Commission and its Administrative Law Judges; and never to mislead the Commission or its staff by an artifice or false statement of fact or law.

Note: Authority cited: Section 1701, Public Utilities Code. Reference: Section 1701, Public Utilities Code.

History

• 1. New section filed 12-4-91; operative 1-20-92. Submitted to OAL for printing only (Register 92, No. 9).
• 2. Amendment of article heading filed 3-23-2000; operative 4-22-2000 (Register 2000, No. 12).
• 3. Amendment of subsection (d) and new NOTE filed 2-22-2005; operative 3-24-2005 (Register 2005, No. 8).
• 4. Repealer of former article 1.5 heading and section 1.1 and renumbering of former section 1 to section 1.1, including amendment of section heading, section and NOTE filed 9-13-2006; operative 9-13-2006 pursuant to Government Code section 11351(a) (Register 2006, No. 37).

Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 20, § 1.2 (Rule 1.2) Construction

These rules shall be liberally construed to secure just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of the issues presented. In special cases and for good cause shown, and within the extent permitted by statute, the Commission may permit deviations from the rules.

Note: Authority cited: Section 1701, Public Utilities Code. Reference: Section 1701, Public Utilities Code.

History

• 1. New section filed 12-4-91; operative 1-20-92. Submitted to OAL for printing only (Register 92, No. 9).
• 2. Repealer of former section 1.2 and renumbering of former section 87 to section 1.2, including amendment of section heading and section and new NOTE filed 9-13-2006; operative 9-13-2006 pursuant to Government Code section 11351(a) (Register 2006, No. 37).
• 3. Amendment filed 1-8-2014; operative 4-1-2014. Submitted to OAL for limited review pursuant to Government Code section 11351 and Public Utilities Code section 311(h) (Register 2014, No. 2).

Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 20, § 1.3 (Rule 1.3) Definitions

(a) "Adjudicatory proceedings" are:

(1) enforcement investigations into possible violations of any provision of statutory law or order or rule of the Commission; and

(2) complaints against regulated entities, including those complaints that challenge the accuracy of a bill, but excluding those complaints that challenge the reasonableness of rates or charges, past, present, or future.

(b) "Catastrophic wildfire proceedings" are proceedings in which an electrical corporation files an application to recover costs and expenses pursuant to Public Utilities Code Section 451 or 451.1 related to a covered wildfire as defined in Public Utilities Code Section 1701.8.

(c) "Category," "categorization," or "categorized" refers to the procedure whereby a proceeding is determined to be an "adjudicatory," "ratesetting," or "quasi-legislative," or "catastrophic wildfire" proceeding.

(d) "Financial interest" means that the action or decision on the matter will have a direct and significant financial impact, distinguishable from its impact on the public generally or a significant segment of the public, as described in Article 1 (commencing with Section 87100) of Chapter 7 of Title 9 of the Government Code.

(e) "Person" means a natural person or organization.

(f) "Quasi-legislative proceedings" are proceedings that establish policy or rules (including generic ratemaking policy or rules) affecting a class of regulated entities, including those proceedings in which the Commission investigates rates or practices for an entire regulated industry or class of entities within the industry, even if those proceedings have an incidental effect on ratepayer costs.

(g) "Ratesetting proceedings" are proceedings in which the Commission sets or investigates rates for a specifically named utility (or utilities), or establishes a mechanism that in turn sets the rates for a specifically named utility (or utilities). "Ratesetting" proceedings include complaints that challenge the reasonableness of rates or charges, past, present, or future. Other proceedings may be categorized as ratesetting, as described in Rule 7.1(e)(2).

(h) "Scoping memo" means an order or ruling describing the issues to be considered in a proceeding and the timetable for resolving the proceeding, as described in Rule 7.3.

Note: Authority cited: Sections 1701 and 1701.8, Public Utilities Code. Reference: Sections 1701, 1701.1 and 1701.8, Public Utilities Code.

History

• 1. New section filed 12-4-91; operative 1-20-92. Submitted to OAL for printing only (Register 92, No. 9).
• 2. Repealer of former section 1.3 and renumbering of former section 5 to section 1.3, including amendment of section heading, section and NOTE filed 9-13-2006; operative 9-13-2006 pursuant to Government Code section 11351(a) (Register 2006, No. 37).
• 3. New subsection (c), subsection relettering and amendment of NOTE filed 1-30-2018; operative 4-1-2018. Submitted to OAL for limited review pursuant to Government Code section 11351 and Public Utilities Code section 311(h) (Register 2018, No. 5).
• 4. Amendment of section and NOTE filed 3-15-2021; operative 5-1-2021 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(b)(3). Submitted to OAL for limited review pursuant to Government Code section 11351 and Public Utilities Code section 311(h) (Register 2021, No. 12).