Section 1.

1. This act shall be known as the Public Utilities Code. (Enacted by Stats. 1951, Ch. 764.)

Section 10.

10. “Section” means a section of this code unless some other statute is specifically mentioned. “Subdivision” means a subdivision of the section in which that term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. (Enacted by Stats. 1951, Ch. 764.)

Section 11.

11. The present tense includes the past and future tenses, and the future, the present. (Enacted by Stats. 1951, Ch. 764.)

Section 12.

12. The masculine gender includes the feminine and the neuter. (Enacted by Stats. 1951, Ch. 764.)

Section 12.2.

12.2. “Spouse” includes “registered domestic partner,” as required by Section 297.5 of the Family Code. (Added by Stats. 2016, Ch. 50, Sec. 93. (SB 1005) Effective January 1, 2017.)

Section 13.

13. The singular number includes the plural, and the plural, the singular. (Enacted by Stats. 1951, Ch. 764.)

Section 14.

14. “Shall” is mandatory and “may” is permissive. (Enacted by Stats. 1951, Ch. 764.)

Section 15.

15. “Oath” includes affirmation. (Enacted by Stats. 1951, Ch. 764.)

Section 16.

16. “Signature” or “subscription” includes mark when the signer or subscriber cannot write, such signer’s or subscriber’s name being written near the mark by a witness who writes his own name near the signer’s or subscriber’s name; but a signature or subscription by mark can be acknowledged or can serve as a signature or subscription […]

Section 17.

17. “State” means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. In the latter case, it includes the District of Columbia and the territories. (Enacted by Stats. 1951, Ch. 764.)

Section 18.

18. “County” includes city and county. (Enacted by Stats. 1951, Ch. 764.)

Section 19.

19. “City” includes city and county and “incorporated town,” but does not include “unincorporated town” or “village.” (Enacted by Stats. 1951, Ch. 764.)

Section 2.

2. The provisions of this code, insofar as they are substantially the same as existing statutory provisions relating to the same subject matter, shall be construed as restatements and continuations thereof, and not as new enactments. (Enacted by Stats. 1951, Ch. 764.)

Section 20.

20. (a) “Commission” means the Public Utilities Commission created by Section 1 of Article XII of the California Constitution, and “commissioner” means a member of the commission. (b) “Energy Commission” means the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission. (Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 558, Sec. 7. Effective January 1, 2009.)

Section 20.5.

20.5. For the purposes of this code, “recycled water” or “reclaimed water” has the same meaning as recycled water as defined in subdivision (n) of Section 13050 of the Water Code. (Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 28, Sec. 9.5. Effective January 1, 1996.)

Section 21.

21. If any provision of this code, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, the remainder of the code, or the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affected thereby. (Enacted by Stats. 1951, Ch. 764.)

Section 22.

22. No corporation formed or existing before 12 o’clock m. of January 1, 1873, is affected by the provisions of Division 4 of this code unless the corporation has elected to continue its existence under the provisions of the Civil Code repealed by this code, or elects to continue its existence under this code, but […]

Section 4.

4. No action or proceeding commenced before this code takes effect, and no right accrued, is affected by this code, but all procedure thereafter taken therein shall conform to the provisions of this code so far as possible. (Enacted by Stats. 1951, Ch. 764.)

Section 5.

5. Unless the provision or the context otherwise requires, the definitions, rules of construction, and other general provisions contained in Sections 1 to 22, inclusive, and the definitions in the Public Utilities Act (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 201) of Part 1 of Division 1), shall govern the construction of this code. (Amended by Stats. […]

Section 6.

6. Division, part, chapter, article, and section headings do not in any manner affect the scope, meaning, or intent of the provisions of this code. (Enacted by Stats. 1951, Ch. 764.)