Pub. Util. Code, § 1701.3

(a) Except as specified in subdivision (h), this section shall apply only to ratesetting cases, except, if the commissioner assigned pursuant to Section 1701.1 has determined that a ratesetting case does not require a hearing, the procedures prescribed by subdivisions (b), (d), (f), and (i) shall not apply.

(b) The assigned commissioner shall determine before the first hearing whether the commissioner or the assigned administrative law judge shall be designated as the principal hearing officer. The principal hearing officer shall be present for more than one-half of the hearing days. The decision of the principal hearing officer shall be the proposed decision.

(c) An alternate decision may be issued by the assigned commissioner or the assigned administrative law judge who is not the principal hearing officer. Any alternate decision may be filed with the commission and served on all parties to the proceeding any time before the issuance of a final decision by the commission, consistent with the requirements of Section 311.

(d) The commission shall establish a procedure for any party to request the presence of a commissioner at a hearing. The assigned commissioner shall be present at any closing arguments in the case.

(e) The principal hearing officer shall present the proposed decision to the full commission in a public meeting. The alternate decision, if any, shall also be presented to the full commission at that public meeting.

(f) The presentation to the full commission shall contain a record of the number of days of the hearing, the number of days that each commissioner was present, and whether the decision was completed on time.

(g) The commission shall provide by rule for peremptory challenges and challenges for cause of the administrative law judge. Challenges for cause shall include, but not be limited to, financial interests and prejudice. All parties shall be entitled to unlimited peremptory challenges in any case in which the administrative law judge has within the previous 12 months served in any capacity in an advocacy position at the commission, been employed by a regulated public utility, or has represented a party or has been an interested person in the case.

(h) (1) Ex parte communications in ratesetting cases and catastrophic wildfire proceedings are subject to the disclosure requirements of this article. The commission, by order or ruling, may prohibit oral ex parte communications in a ratesetting case or catastrophic wildfire proceeding.

(2) Oral communications may be permitted by a decisionmaker if all parties are given not less than three working days’ notice. Individual ex parte meetings shall not be held during the three business days before the commission’s scheduled vote on the decision.

(3) (A) If an ex parte communication meeting is granted to any party, all other parties, upon request, shall also be granted individual ex parte meetings of a substantially equal period of time and shall be sent a notice of that opportunity at the time the request is granted.

(B) Subparagraph (A) shall not apply if the decisionmaker participating in the ex parte communication meeting is a member of the personal staff of a commissioner acting in a policy or legal advisory capacity and no other decisionmaker to whom subparagraph (A) applies is a participant.

(4) Written ex parte communications by an interested person shall be permitted at any time without restriction before the three business days before the commission’s scheduled vote on a decision if copies of the communication are transmitted to all parties on the same day as the original communication.

(5) Written and oral ex parte communications shall not be part of the evidentiary record of the proceeding.

(i) Any party has the right to present a final oral argument of its case before the commission. Upon request to present a final oral argument before the commission, the argument shall be scheduled in a timely manner. A quorum of the commission shall be present for the final oral arguments.

(j) The commission may, in issuing its decision, adopt, modify, or set aside the proposed decision or any part of the decision based on evidence in the record. The final decision of the commission shall be issued not later than 60 days after the issuance of the proposed decision. Under extraordinary circumstances the commission may extend this date for a reasonable period. The 60-day period shall be extended for 30 days if any alternate decision is proposed pursuant to Section 311.