CaliforniaCommunications: lifeline telephone service program.
What it does
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. The Moore Universal Telephone Service Act establishes the Universal Lifeline Telephone Service program in order to provide low-income households with access to affordable basic residential telephone service. Existing law requires the commission to accept applications for lifeline telephone service according to procedures specified by the commission.
More detail
This bill would prohibit the commission, its staff, the lifeline program's third-party administrator, and lifeline service providers, and their contractors, agents, successors, or assignees, from sharing, disclosing, or otherwise making accessible any information provided by an applicant or subscriber to the lifeline program, or a subprogram or pilot program of the lifeline program, to any agency of a local government, a state government, or the federal government, or to an immigration authority, as defined, without a court-ordered subpoena or valid judicial warrant, except as specified. The bill would authorize the commission, its staff, the lifeline program's third-party administrator, and lifeline service providers, and the providers' agents, successors, or assignees, to request, but would prohibit those entities from requiring, applicants and subscribers to provide social security numbers to apply to, or participate in, the lifeline program.
Existing law prohibits a telephone or telegraph corporation from making certain categories of personal information available to any other person or corporation without first obtaining the residential subscriber's consent in writing. Existing law exempts information provided to a law enforcement agency in response to lawful process from that prohibition.
This bill would define "lawful process," for that purpose, to mean an action taken pursuant to a court-ordered subpoena or judicial warrant.
Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime.
Because certain provisions of this bill would be part of the act and therefore a violation of the bill's requirements, or a violation of a commission action implementing its 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.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2025
- Oct 6Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 347, Statutes of 2025.Latest
- Oct 6Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 16Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.To Governor
- Sep 9Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 61. Noes 14. Page 3120.).Major
- Vote recorded AB 1303 Valencia Concurrence in Senate Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
- Sep 8In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading AB1303 Valencia et al. By Gonzalez. Result: pass.Upper
- Sep 8Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 29. Noes 9. Page 2626.).Passed Senate
- Sep 4Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Sep 3Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Aug 26Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 25From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.Minor
- Aug 13In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
- Jul 10Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Jul 9From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 1.) (July 8).Major
- Jul 8
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 26From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on JUD.Major
- Jun 24Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Major
- Jun 23From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 11. Noes 1.) (June 17).Major
- Jun 17
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Judiciary]. Result: pass.Upper
- May 28Referred to Coms. on E., U & C. and JUD.Minor
- May 20In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Vote recorded AB 1303 Valencia Assembly Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- May 19Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 61. Noes 12. Page 1609.)Passed Assembly
- May 15Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 14From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 4.) (May 14).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Lower
- May 5Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- May 1Read second time and amended.Major
- Apr 30From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 3.) (April 29).Major
- Apr 29
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 9From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 8. Noes 2.) (April 9). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 9Coauthors revised.
- Apr 2Re-referred to Com. on C. & C.Minor
- Apr 1From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on C. & C. Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 25Re-referred to Com. on C. & C.Minor
- Mar 24From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on C. & C. Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 24Referred to Coms. on C. & C. and JUD.Minor
- Feb 24Read first time.Minor
- Feb 22From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.
- Feb 21Introduced. To print.Introduced