republic-os/legislation/us/states/ca/20212022/sb-884.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Electricity: expedited utility distribution infrastructure undergrounding program."
description: "Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Under existing law, it is the policy of this state to achieve, whenever feasible and not inconsistent with sound environmental planning, the undergrounding of all future electric and communication distribution facilities that are proposed to be erected in proximity to designated state scenic highways and that would be visible from those highways if erected above ground. The commission's existing Electric Tariff Rule 20 establishes policies for the undergrounding of electrical facilities and includes, among other programs, the Rule 20A undergrounding program that requires electrical corporations to convert overhead electrical facilities to underground facilities when it is in the public interest for specified reasons."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ca"
legislature: "California Legislature"
session: "20212022"
identifier: "SB 884"
citation: "California SB 884 (20212022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Electricity: expedited utility distribution infrastructure undergrounding program."]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["McGuire"]
version_count: 11
action_count: 43
vote_count: 9
first_action: "2022-01-26"
last_action: "2022-09-29"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/73e78c38-ce7e-4339-ad0e-c2907dacda3d"
source_url: "http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB884"
source_hash: "07564299af032a8f52c1664adbda6c9220c385203291f719e939b186a893407a"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ca"]
---

# California SB 884 (20212022) — Electricity: expedited utility distribution infrastructure undergrounding program.

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Under existing law, it is the policy of this state to achieve, whenever feasible and not inconsistent with sound environmental planning, the undergrounding of all future electric and communication distribution facilities that are proposed to be erected in proximity to designated state scenic highways and that would be visible from those highways if erected above ground. The commission's existing Electric Tariff Rule 20 establishes policies for the undergrounding of electrical facilities and includes, among other programs, the Rule 20A undergrounding program that requires electrical corporations to convert overhead electrical facilities to underground facilities when it is in the public interest for specified reasons.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **01/26/22 - Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB884&version=20210SB88499INT)
2. **03/16/22 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB884&version=20210SB88498AMD)
3. **04/07/22 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB884&version=20210SB88497AMD)
4. **04/26/22 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB884&version=20210SB88496AMD)
5. **06/13/22 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB884&version=20210SB88495AMD)
6. **06/23/22 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB884&version=20210SB88494AMD)
7. **08/15/22 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB884&version=20210SB88493AMD)
8. **08/25/22 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB884&version=20210SB88492AMD)
9. **09/29/22 - Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB884&version=20210SB88490CHP)
10. **SB884** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB884)
11. **09/01/22 - Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB884&version=20210SB88491ENR)

## Votes

- 3rd Reading — **25–3** (pass) · upper
- Do pass as amended. — **11–2** (pass) · lower
- Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations] — **4–1** (pass) · upper
- Placed on suspense file — **7–0** (pass) · upper
- Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Governance and Finance] — **10–0** (pass) · upper
- Unfinished Business SB884 McGuire Concurrence — **31–9** (pass) · upper
- Do pass — **5–2** (pass) · upper
- Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Natural Resources] — **12–0** (pass) · lower
- SB 884 McGuire Senate Third Reading By Mullin — **67–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- McGuire — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2022-01-26** Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print. `introduction, reading-1`
- **2022-01-27** From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 26.
- **2022-02-02** Referred to Com. on RLS. `referral-committee`
- **2022-02-07** Art. IV. Sec. 8(a) of the Constitution dispensed with.
- **2022-02-07** (Ayes 31. Noes 6.)
- **2022-02-07** Joint Rule 55 suspended. (Ayes 31. Noes 6. Page 2880.)
- **2022-03-16** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS. `amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2022-03-23** Re-referred to Coms. on E., U. & C., GOV. & F., and E.Q. `referral-committee`
- **2022-03-24** Referral to Com. on E.Q. rescinded because of the limitations placed on committee hearings due to ongoing health and safety risks of the COVID-19 virus.
- **2022-04-05** Set for hearing April 18.
- **2022-04-07** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E., U. & C. `amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2022-04-08** Set for hearing April 21 in GOV. & F. pending receipt.
- **2022-04-13** April 21 hearing postponed by committee.
- **2022-04-14** Set for hearing April 20 in GOV. & F. pending receipt.
- **2022-04-19** From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on GOV. & F. (Ayes 10. Noes 0. Page 3413.) (April 18). Re-referred to Com. on GOV. & F. `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable, referral-committee`
- **2022-04-25** From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 4. Noes 1. Page 3459.) (April 20). `amendment-passage, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-04-26** Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR. `amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2022-04-29** Set for hearing May 9.
- **2022-05-09** May 9 hearing: Placed on APPR suspense file.
- **2022-05-13** Set for hearing May 19.
- **2022-05-19** From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 3773.) (May 19). `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-05-19** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-1, reading-2`
- **2022-05-23** Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 25. Noes 3. Page 3835.) Ordered to the Assembly. `passage, reading-1, reading-3`
- **2022-05-24** In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk. `reading-1`
- **2022-06-09** Referred to Coms. on U. & E. and NAT. RES. `referral-committee`
- **2022-06-13** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on U. & E. `amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2022-06-23** From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (June 22). Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES. `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable, referral-committee`
- **2022-06-23** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES. `amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2022-06-27** June 27 hearing postponed by committee.
- **2022-06-27** Re-referred to Com. on APPR. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96. `referral-committee`
- **2022-08-03** August 3 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.
- **2022-08-11** From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 2.) (August 11). `amendment-passage, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-08-15** Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading. `amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2`
- **2022-08-16** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-1, reading-2`
- **2022-08-25** Assembly Rule 69 suspended.
- **2022-08-25** Read third time and amended. `amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-3`
- **2022-08-25** Ordered to third reading.
- **2022-08-30** Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. `passage, reading-1, reading-3`
- **2022-08-30** In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- **2022-08-30** Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 31. Noes 9. Page 5325.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling. `amendment-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-09-06** Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3:30 p.m.
- **2022-09-29** Approved by the Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2022-09-29** Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 819, Statutes of 2022. `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/73e78c38-ce7e-4339-ad0e-c2907dacda3d`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).