House Bill 392 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Chip BrownRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Public Service Commission; provide for appointment of commissioners by Governor, commission duties revised

Summary

HB392 would shift Alabama's Public Service Commission from elected commissioners to an appointed system with Senate confirmation, add ethics and transparency requirements, and ensure lobbying costs are not paid by ratepayers.

What This Bill Does

The bill changes how PSC commissioners are selected, moving from at-large elections to appointments by the Governor, the Speaker of the House, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, with Senate confirmation, and outlines a staged transition beginning after the 2026 election. It adds qualifications and conflict-of-interest rules that extend beyond utilities to other nonutility entities involved in PSC matters, and requires periodic public informational meetings with utility representatives to discuss industry trends. It also requires the PSC to ensure lobbying expenses are not charged to ratepayers and makes several technical and conforming updates to existing law, with the act becoming effective December 1, 2026.

Who It Affects

• Public Service Commission commissioners and state leaders (Governor, Speaker, President Pro Tempore, and the Senate) as the appointment, term structure, and confirmation process change
• Ratepayers and the general public, who would gain more transparency through annual public meetings and protection against lobbying costs being billed to utility customers

Key Provisions

• After the 2026 General Election, PSC commissioners would be appointed (not elected) by the Governor, the Speaker, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, subject to Senate confirmation; the initial terms and future rotation are defined, with vacancies filled by the appointing authority and subject to confirmation
• Beginning in 2028, the President of the PSC would be appointed by the Governor; beginning in 2030, the two associate commissioners would be appointed by the Speaker and the President Pro Tempore, respectively, all appointments subject to Senate confirmation
• Commissioners would have updated qualification standards, including relevant experience (utility regulation, energy policy, economics, law, engineering, finance, etc.), Alabama residency, and high moral character, with an emphasis on diversity
• Conflict-of-interest rules would be expanded to prohibit PSC actions that create conflicts with nonutility entities participating in matters before the PSC (in addition to existing utilities rules)
• The PSC would hold periodic public informational meetings with utility representatives to discuss cost trends, reliability, investment plans, and related regulatory issues
• Section 37-1-54.1 would require the PSC to ensure lobbying expenses are charged to the commission’s accounts rather than to ratepayers
• The bill includes nonsubstantive, technical updates to align language with current style and makes conforming changes to related election and operating provisions, with an effective date of December 1, 2026

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 12, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Telecommunications & Utilities