CaliforniaCommunications: universal service programs.
What it does
Existing law authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to supervise and regulate every public utility in the state, including telephone corporations, and to fix just and reasonable rates and charges for public utilities. Existing law establishes the state's 6 universal service funds in the State Treasury, including the California High-Cost Fund-A Administrative Committee Fund (CHCF-A) and the California High-Cost Fund-B Administrative Committee Fund (CHCF-B), and provides that moneys in each of the state's universal service funds are the proceeds of rates and are held in trust for the benefit of ratepayers and to compensate telephone corporations for their costs of providing universal service. Moneys in the funds may only be expended to accomplish specified telecommunications universal service programs, upon appropriation in the annual Budget Act or upon supplemental appropriation.
More detail
Existing law, the CHCF-A program, until January 1, 2028, requires the commission to develop, implement, and maintain a suitable program to establish a fair and equitable local rate structure aided by universal service rate support to small independent telephone corporations that serve rural areas and are subject to rate-of-return regulation by the commission. Existing law, the CHCF-B program, until January 1, 2028, requires the commission to develop, implement, and maintain a suitable, competitively neutral, and broad-based program to establish a fair and equitable local rate support structure aided by universal service rate support to telephone corporations serving areas where the cost of providing services exceeds rates charged by providers, as determined by the commission.
This bill would extend the CHCF-A program and CHCF-B program requirements to January 1, 2033.
Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime.
Because the CHCF-A program and CHCF-B program, which would be extended under the provisions of this bill, are part of the act, and a violation of a commission action implementing the programs' requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 27Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 683, Statutes of 2026.Latest
- Sep 27Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Aug 28Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.To Governor
- Aug 24Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 5690.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.Major
- Vote recorded Unfinished Business SB1191 Ochoa Bogh et al. Urgency Clause Concurrence. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 20In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- Vote recorded SB 1191 Ochoa Bogh Third Reading Urgency By Hadwick. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 20Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 72. Noes 0. Page 6302.) Ordered to the Senate.Passed Assembly
- Aug 13Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 13From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (August 13).Minor
- Aug 13Assembly Rule 63 suspended.
- Aug 5August 5 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.
- Jul 2From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jul 1
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 8From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on C. & C.Major
- Jun 1Referred to Com. on C. & C.Minor
- May 22In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.Minor
- Vote recorded Special Consent SB1191 Ochoa Bogh et al. Urgency Clause. Result: pass.Upper
- May 22Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 33. Noes 0. Page 4419.) Ordered to the Assembly.Passed Senate
- May 20Ordered to special consent calendar.
- May 14Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Upper
- May 14From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 4268.) (May 14).Minor
- May 8Set for hearing May 14.
- Apr 20April 20 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 10Set for hearing April 20.
- Apr 7From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 15. Noes 0. Page 3756.) (April 7). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 25Set for hearing April 7.
- Mar 4Referred to Com. on E., U & C.Minor
- Feb 20From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 22.
- Feb 19Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.Introduced