Terms Used In California Codes > Public Utilities Code > Division 10 > Part 2 > Chapter 3 - Government of District

• Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
• After-meter services: includes , but is not limited to, leak investigation, inspecting customer piping and appliances, carbon monoxide investigation, pilot relighting, and high bill investigation. See California Public Utilities Code 328.1
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Baseline: Projection of the receipts, outlays, and other budget amounts that would ensue in the future without any change in existing policy. Baseline projections are used to gauge the extent to which proposed legislation, if enacted into law, would alter current spending and revenue levels.
• Basic gas service: includes transmission, storage for reliability of service, and distribution of natural gas, purchasing natural gas on behalf of a customer, revenue cycle services, and after-meter services. See California Public Utilities Code 328.1
• Bill of sale: means a written instrument, conforming to the requirements of this chapter, which evidences a transfer of grain. See California Civil Code 1880.1
• board: means the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. See California Revenue and Taxation Code 20
• Board of supervisors: as used in this part , means the board of supervisors of a county in the San Francisco Bay area. See California Public Utilities Code 28507
• Buyer: means a purchaser of grain which is thereafter stored in private bulk storage, and includes the assigns and successors in interest of such buyer. See California Civil Code 1880.1
• Commission: means the Public Utilities Commission created by §. See California Public Utilities Code 20
• commissioner: means a member of the commission. See California Public Utilities Code 20
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Conduit: includes ditches, pipelines, and other means of diversion. See California Water Code 22080
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Controller: means the State Controller. See California Revenue and Taxation Code 21
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• corporation: include the lessees, trustees, receivers or trustees appointed by any court whatsoever, of the person or corporation. See California Public Utilities Code 206
• County: includes city and county. See California Water Code 14
• County: includes city and county. See California Revenue and Taxation Code 15
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• directors: as used in this part , means the board of directors of the district. See California Public Utilities Code 28508
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• District: means any irrigation district which includes land included within a watermaster service area for which a watermaster has previously been appointed by the Department of Water Resources, but which elects to provide watermaster service pursuant to the provisions of this article. See California Water Code 22080
• Districts: means school districts of every kind or class. See California Education Code 35514
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• Energy Commission: means the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission. See California Public Utilities Code 20
• Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Executive session: A portion of the Senate's daily session in which it considers executive business.
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Finance charge: The total cost of credit a customer must pay on a consumer loan, including interest. The Truth in Lending Act requires disclosure of the finance charge. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. ^{Source: OCC}
• Former district: means a school district that has been wholly included in another school district, or has had all of its territory made part of two or more other school districts, through any action taken pursuant to Section 35511 or through a lapsation pursuant to Section 35780. See California Education Code 35514
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Grain: includes barley, corn, flax, hay, grain sorghums, oats, rice, rye, and wheat. See California Civil Code 1880.1
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• land: includes city and town lots and excepts improvements. See California Water Code 25500
• Lawsuit: A legal action started by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty, resulting in harm to the plaintiff.
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Metering services: includes , but is not limited to, gas meter installation, meter maintenance, meter testing, collecting and processing consumption data, and all related services associated with the meter. See California Public Utilities Code 328.1
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Multiple award: means a contract of indefinite quantity for one or more similar goods, information technology, or services to more than one supplier. See California Public Contract Code 12100.7
• New district: means a school district that is formed from all or portions of one or more other school districts by an action to reorganize taken pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 35511. See California Education Code 35514
• Oath: includes affirmation. See California Public Utilities Code 15
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Person: means any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, limited liability company, or company. See California Water Code 19
• Person: includes any person, firm, partnership, general partner of a partnership, limited liability company, registered limited liability partnership, foreign limited liability partnership, association, corporation, company, syndicate, estate, trust, business trust, or organization of any kind. See California Revenue and Taxation Code 19
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
• Policies: means determining what information technology goods or services are to be purchased and by whom. See California Public Contract Code 12100.7
• Preliminary hearing: A hearing where the judge decides whether there is enough evidence to make the defendant have a trial.
• Private bulk storage: means the storage of grain in storage facilities after sale of such grain by a seller. See California Civil Code 1880.1
• Procedures: means the rules, methods, and practices to be followed in conducting information technology procurements. See California Public Contract Code 12100.7
• property: includes property real and personal. See California Civil Code 14
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Public entity: as used in this part , means the state, county, city, city and county, district, public authority, public agency, municipal corporation, or any other political subdivision or public corporation in the state. See California Public Contract Code 1100
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• Public works contract: as used in this part , means an agreement for the erection, construction, alteration, repair, or improvement of any public structure, building, road, or other public improvement of any kind. See California Public Contract Code 1101
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Rapid transit: as used in this part , means the transportation of passengers and their incidental baggage by any means. See California Public Utilities Code 28505
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Rescission: The cancellation of budget authority previously provided by Congress. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 specifies that the President may propose to Congress that funds be rescinded. If both Houses have not approved a rescission proposal (by passing legislation) within 45 days of continuous session, any funds being withheld must be made available for obligation.
• Revenue cycle services: means metering services, billing the customer, collection, and related customer services. See California Public Utilities Code 328.1
• Right of rescission: Right to cancel, within three business days, a contract that uses the home of a person as collateral, except in the case of a first mortgage loan. There is no fee to the borrower, who receives a full refund of all fees paid. The right of rescission is guaranteed by the Truth in Lending Act (TILA). ^{Source: OCC}
• San Francisco Bay area: as used in this part , means the Counties of San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara and San Mateo. See California Public Utilities Code 28504
• Seller: means a producer of grain who continues to store grain after sale thereof by him in storage facilities owned, operated, or controlled by him. See California Civil Code 1880.1
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• spouse: includes a registered domestic partner, as required by §. See California Civil Code 14
• Spouse: includes "registered domestic partner" as required by §. See California Revenue and Taxation Code 12.2
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Water Code 18
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Storage facilities: means any bin, building, elevator, protected enclosure, or other structure owned, operated, or controlled by the seller of the grain stored therein. See California Civil Code 1880.1
• Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which that term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Public Utilities Code 10
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Supplemental appropriation: Budget authority provided in an appropriations act in addition to regular or continuing appropriations already provided. Supplemental appropriations generally are made to cover emergencies, such as disaster relief, or other needs deemed too urgent to be postponed until the enactment of next year's regular appropriations act.
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• United States: means the United States of America, and in relation to any particular matter includes the officers, agents, employees, agencies, or instrumentalities authorized to act in relation thereto. See California Water Code 20
• will: includes codicil. See California Civil Code 14
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.