ACR12:v98#DOCUMENTBill Start
Amended
IN
Assembly
February 20, 2007
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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2007–2008 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Concurrent Resolution
No. 12
Introduced by
Assembly Member
Parra
(Principal Coauthor(s):
Senator
Maldonado)
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January 18, 2007 |
Relative to agriculture.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
ACR 12, as amended, Parra.
Agriculture: frost damage.
This measure would request the Public Utilities Commission to cooperate with the state’s public utilities in immediately approving advice filings to establish appropriate payment deferral programs for citrus and other affected growers whose crops were destroyed as a result of the cold storms and consequent frost damage that occurred in January 2007. The measure would also request the commission to authorize recovery for the actual administrative costs, with the exception of interest foregone on deferred amounts, and recovery of uncollected deferred amounts incurred by the state’s public utilities as a result of this program.
Digest Key
Fiscal Committee:
NO
Bill Text
WHEREAS, The cold storms and consequent frost damage that occurred in this state during January of 2007 have caused severe economic damage to agricultural interests in California; and
WHEREAS, Many citrus farmers in the seven farmers, including, but not limited to, those in the 18 Counties of Fresno, El Dorado, Fresno, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Madera, Monterey, Tulare, and Ventura Merced, Monterey, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, Tulare, Ventura, and Yuba
affected by the cold storms have lost a large percentage of their crops this year; and
WHEREAS, California’s citrus industry agricultural industries and the many people engaged in that industry them contribute greatly to the state’s economy; and
WHEREAS, The Legislature recognized the significance of California’s citrus industry by approving AB 20 of the 1991–92 First Extraordinary Session (Bronzan, Ch. 8, Stats. of 1991–92 1st Ex. Sess.) and ACR 6 of the 1999-2000 Session (Reyes, Ch. 9, Stats. of 1999-2000 Sess.) in response to similar, destructive freeze conditions which occurred in December of 1990 and December of 1998; and
WHEREAS, Section 744.5 of the Public Utilities Code, as implemented by the enactment of AB 20, required the Public Utilities Commission to require public utilities to establish payment deferral programs in 1991–92 for citrus growers who were able to provide verification of freeze-related crop losses of not less than 50 percent; and
WHEREAS, The Public Utilities Commission passed Resolution E-3245 in 1991 and accepted advice filings from public utilities, that were submitted in order to establish special citrus payment deferral accounts; and
WHEREAS, The passage of ACR 6 facilitated disaster assistance for citrus growers whose crops were destroyed as a result of the December, 1998 freeze; and
WHEREAS, It is appropriate, given the current economic disaster that has crippled the California citrus agricultural industry, for the state’s public utilities to reinstate payment deferral programs for citrus and other affected growers as expediently as possible; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature of the State of California hereby respectfully requests the Public Utilities Commission to cooperate with the state’s public utilities in immediately approving advice filings to establish appropriate payment deferral programs for citrus and other affected growers whose crops were destroyed as a result of the cold storms and consequent frost damage that occurred in January of 2007; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature of the State of California also respectfully requests the Public Utilities Commission to authorize recovery for the actual administrative costs, with the exception of interest foregone on deferred amounts, and recovery of uncollected deferred amounts incurred by the state’s public utilities as a result of this program; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the commissioners and the Executive Director of the Public Utilities Commission.