(a) In accordance with Section 10013 of the Public Utilities Code, prior to signing a proposed franchise, license, or service agreement with a local agency, a privatizer shall apply to the commission for a determination that the proposed privatization project is not a public utility within the meaning of Section 216 of the Public Utilities Code and is therefore exempt from commission regulation. The application shall include such information as the commission requires to make this determination, as well as any information needed to comply with subdivisions (d) and (e) of Section 10013 of the Public Utilities Code.
(b) A local agency may contract with the commission for any technical assistance deemed necessary to comply with Section 10013 of the Public Utilities Code and shall reimburse the commission for estimated reasonable costs. The local agency may charge the privatizer a fee to pay these costs.