454.6.
(a) Notwithstanding the existence, or prior commission approval, of any account used for the purpose of recording and recovering administrative and general expenses through rates, the commission shall require each public utility to establish a separate regulatory, legislative, and judicial advocacy account and to record in that account all costs that the public utility presently includes, or intends to include, in its revenue requirement for rate recovery related to appearing at, or participating in, proceedings of any of the following:(1) The commission and all other commissions and local agencies.
(2) The Supreme Court, a court of appeal, or a superior court.
(3) The Legislature or an entity in the executive branch.
(4) Any entity of the executive, judicial, or legislative branches of other states or the government of the United States.
(b) The costs of “appearing at, or participating in” proceedings as described in subdivision (a) shall include, but are not limited to, all salaries, bonuses, consulting fees, office supplies and expenses, and commission regulatory expenses, including any out-of-pocket or travel expenses, related to all participation including, but not limited to, attendance, argument, and testimony at hearings and meetings and document drafting and filing.
(c) The costs recorded in the account described in subdivision (a) shall be recoverable in rates following a separate request by application by the affected utility filed no more than once in every three years and, to the extent possible, in coordination with its general rate proceeding. The commission shall make findings with regard to the reasonableness of those costs.