Senate BillFailedPublic Utilities
SB 636: Electrical or gas corporations: deferment of payments: hardship.
What SB 636 does, verified February 3, 2026
This bill would allow certain customers to defer payments on their electricity or gas bills for up to three months if they are experiencing financial hardship. The customer would be required to enroll in the utility company's arrearage management program or an available payment plan upon the end of the deferment period. A customer who participates in the payment deferral would not be eligible for a subsequent three-month payment deferral for at least 18 months. The Public Utilities Commission would have the authority to adopt rules to implement these provisions. The bill would also prohibit utilities from disconnecting service for customers who meet the hardship requirements during the deferment period.
Bill journey
✓IntroducedComplete
2In CommitteeCurrent
3First Chamber FloorPending
4Second ChamberPending
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. (2026-02-02)Alert me
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| Feb. 02, 2026 | Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. |
| May. 23, 2025 | May 23 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. |
| May. 16, 2025 | Set for hearing May 23. |
| Apr. 28, 2025 | April 28 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file. |
| Apr. 17, 2025 | Set for hearing April 28. |
Latest bill textAmended version, April 10, 2025 · 904 words
| Amended IN Senate April 10, 2025 |
| Amended IN Senate March 24, 2025 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Bill
No. 636
| Introduced by Senator Menjivar |
February 20, 2025 |
An act to add Section 779.8 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to public utilities.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 636, as amended, Menjivar. Electrical or gas corporations: deferment of payments: hardship.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory jurisdiction over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations. Existing law prohibits an electrical or gas corporation from disconnecting service for nonpayment by a residential customer receiving a medical baseline allowance, financially unable to pay for service within the normal payment period, willing to enter into an amortization agreement with the corporation with respect to all charges that the customer is unable to pay, and meets certain other requirements.
This bill would prohibit an electrical or gas corporation from disconnecting service of a customer for 6 3 months, if the customer meets certain requirements, as provided. The bill would require the corporation to grant that customer a 6-month 3-month deferment for any and all payments due from the date that the deferment is granted. Upon the expiration of the deferment period, the bill would require the customer to enroll in the electrical or gas corporation’s arrearage management program or be enrolled in an available payment plan for which the customer is eligible, if the customer is not eligible for the arrearage management plan, for any and all debts on the customer’s account. The bill would prohibit a customer who participates in the payment deferral from being eligible for a subsequent 3-month payment deferral within 18 months of their participation in the payment deferral. The bill would authorize the commission to adopt rules to implement these provisions.
Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime.
Because the provisions of this bill would be a part of the act, a violation of which, or a violation of an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission implementing those provisions, would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 779.8 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:779.8.
(a) An electrical or gas corporation shall not disconnect service of a customer for(1) The customer is enrolled in the California Alternative Rates for Energy program or the Family Electric Rate Assistance program at the time of the hardship request.
(2) The customer makes a hardship request pursuant to applicable rules adopted by the commission.
(3) The customer’s hardship request is due to a hardship that is any of the of the following:
(A) A death in the family or of someone living within the same residence.
(B) The loss of full-time employment within 60 days of the hardship request.
(C) Medical care of the customer, a family member, or someone living within the same residence.
(D) The customer’s residence, employment, or education is impacted by a wildfire or other natural disaster declared by the Governor to be an emergency pursuant to Section 8558 of the Government Code.
(b) An electrical or gas corporation shall grant to a customer who meets the requirements of subdivision (a), a six-month three-month deferment of any and all payments due from the date of the deferment until the end of the six-month three-month period.
(c) At the conclusion of the six-month three-month deferment period, the eligible customers shall enroll in the arrearage management program of the electrical or gas corporation for any and all debts on the customer’s account. If the customers are not eligible for the arrearage management program, they will be enrolled in an available payment plan for which they are eligible.
(d) During the six-month three-month deferment period, the customer shall not be charged any interest or additional fees for requesting the deferment.
(e)An electrical or gas corporation shall not request any supportive documents pertaining to the basis of the hardship request. A customer shall be permitted to self-attest.
(f)
(e) This section is in addition to other relief or debt forgiveness that may be applicable.
(f) A customer who participates in the payment deferral shall not be eligible for a subsequent three-month payment deferral within 18 months of their participation in the payment deferral.
(g) The commission may adopt rules to implement this section.
SEC. 2.
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.Text of SB 636 as amended, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions