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The Division of Ratepayer Advocates (DRA) is the consumer-advocacy arm of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which regulates privately owned public utilities in the state of California. DRA is a statutorily mandated agency that is specifically authorized to represent the interests of public utility customers within the jurisdiction of the CPUC to obtain the lowest possible rate for service consistent with reliable and safe service levels. In fulfilling its mission, DRA also advocates for customer and environmental protections. == History == DRA was created by the CPUC as a separate “Public Staff Division” in 1984. Prior to the creation of DRA, the CPUC staff often functioned as both advocates in formal regulatory proceedings as well as in an advisory role to the Commission. Over time, this dual role of staff as both advocates and advisors came under criticism from both utilities and consumer organizations. The California Legislature codified the Public Staff Division in Public Utilities Code Section 309.5, renaming it the Division of Ratepayer Advocates. In 1996, SB 960 recognized the importance of keeping DRA housed within the CPUC to preserve the efficiency of mutual operations, but also granted it a measure of independence with respect to policy, advocacy and budget. SB 960 also made the DRA Director a gubernatorial appointee subject to Senate confirmation. SB 201 further expanded DRA’s role to represent consumer interest outside the formal administrative proceedings of the CPUC. In 2005, the Legislature further defined and codified the role of DRA with SB 608, providing the agency the autonomy over its budget and staffing resources and authorizing the appointment of a full-time Chief Counsel. DRA is a member of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates (NASUCA), which includes 44 utility consumer advocates in 40 states designated by law to represent the interests of consumers in their jurisdictions before state and federal regulators. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Division of Ratepayer Advocates」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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