California Public Utilities Code

§ 8281

PUC § 8281 Effective Jan 1, 2025Div. 4 · Ch. 7 · Art. 5

Statute text

(a)The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the essence of the American economic system of private enterprise is free, open, and transparent competition. Only through free, open, and transparent competition can free markets, reasonable and just prices, and creative and innovative opportunities for growth of personal initiative and individual judgment be ensured. The preservation and expansion of that competition are basic to the economic well-being of this state and that well-being cannot be realized unless the actual and potential capacity of women, minority, disabled veteran, and LGBT business enterprises is encouraged and developed. Therefore, it is the declared policy of the state to aid the interests of women, minority, disabled veteran, and LGBT business enterprises in order to preserve reasonable and just prices and a free competitive enterprise, to ensure that a fair proportion of the total purchases and contracts or subcontracts for commodities, supplies, technology, property, and services for regulated public utilities, including, but not limited to, renewable energy, wireless telecommunications, broadband, smart grid, and rail projects, are awarded to women, minority, disabled veteran, and LGBT business enterprises, and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of the state.

(b)(1) The Legislature finds all of the following:

(A)The opportunity for full participation in our free enterprise system by women, minority, disabled veteran, and LGBT business enterprises is essential if this state is to attain social and economic equality for those businesses and improve the functioning of the state economy. By providing more transparency on who is performing the work in the state, the state will see a broader and deeper economic impact.

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Legislative history

Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 784, Sec. 3. (SB 1177) Effective January 1, 2025.