Assemblyman Mike Gatto’s (D-Los Angeles) proposed constitutional amendment, ACA 11, to restructure California’s regulatory agencies, passed the Assembly by a 61- 9 vote.

The measure will reform and modernize the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), reassign regulation of industries unrelated to the CPUC’s core functions to more appropriate state bodies, and provide greater accountability to Californians.

“The CPUC is spread too thin and has too many issues within its jurisdiction,” Gatto said. “It is time to make the commission more focused, specialized and accountable.”

The CPUC has been criticized for the way it handled investigations of the San Bruno gas line explosion and the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station settlement agreement. The recent gas well leak in Aliso Canyon, which displaced thousands of residents in Porter Ranch, Granada Hills and surrounding communities and resulted in over 87,000 metric tons of methane being pumped into the air, has reinvigorated concerns that the CPUC has too much responsibility. Most recently, there have been an alarming number of train fatalities in the Bay Area, which is another area the CPCU regulates.

Californians are hesitant to trust that CPUC regulators are able to properly exercise oversight of utilities or act decisively to protect communities under the current system, which cannot be changed without this initiative, Gatto said.

“ACA 11 will be the first step in making sure that, no matter where you live in California, you can sleep safely at night knowing that a gas line won’t explode and that necessary protections have been put in place so that our electrical infrastructure is safe and reliable and not subject to risks from terrorist attacks to cyber mischief,” Gatto added.

The measure will now be considered by the Senate.