CaliforniaTelephone corporations: carriers of last resort.
What it does
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. Existing law authorizes the commission to fix just and reasonable rates and charges for public utilities. Existing law requires the commission, on or before February 1, 1995, to issue an order initiating an investigation and open proceeding to examine the current and future definitions of universal service in telecommunications.
More detail
Pursuant to that provision, the commission issued a decision involving carriers of last resort, including the withdrawal process for carriers of last resort, defined as a carrier who provides local exchange service and stands ready to provide basic service to any customer requesting basic service within a specified area.
This bill would require the commission, in consultation with the Office of Emergency Services, to adopt a process through which a telephone corporation acting as a carrier of last resort is authorized to seek relief from their carrier of last resort obligations in a census block where the United States Census Bureau reports no population and where the telephone corporation provides no basic exchange service to any customer address located within the area, and in a census block that is well-served, as defined. The bill would require the commission, on or before December 15, 2026, to adopt a map designating well-served areas. The bill would require that the process include specified notice and challenge requirements. The bill would require a telephone corporation to meet certain requirements during specified time periods following the date that amended status is granted by the commission, as provided.
The bill would create the Public Safety Agency Technology Upgrade Grant Fund, provide that moneys in the fund are continuously appropriated to the commission for purposes of public safety agency technology upgrade grants, and authorize the fund to accept donations from nongovernmental entities.
The bill would exempt specified services and locations from its provisions.
Under existing law, a violation of an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime.
Because a violation of a commission action implementing this bill's 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
- Aug 29In committee: Held under submission.Latest
- Aug 18In committee: Referred to suspense file.Minor
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Jul 17Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jul 17Withdrawn from committee.Major
- Jul 17From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on JUD.Major
- Jul 16From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 9. Noes 1.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Jul 15
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]. Result: pass.Upper
- Jul 10Referred to Coms. on E., U & C. and JUD.Minor
- Jun 27In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Vote recorded AB 470 McKinnor Assembly Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 27Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 58. Noes 2. Page 2340.)Passed Assembly
- Jun 25Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Jun 24From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 23).Minor
- Jun 23
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 19Joint Rule 62(a) suspended. (Ayes 54. Noes 11. Page 2223.)
- Jun 19Re-referred to Com. on C. & C. pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.2.Minor
- Jun 19Read third time and amended. Ordered to third reading. (Page 2223.)Major
- Jun 19Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Jun 19Withdrawn from committee.Major
- Jun 19Assembly Rule 96 suspended. (Page 2223.)
- May 23From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on RLS. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (May 23). Re-referred to Com. on RLS.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Rules]. Result: pass.Lower
- May 21Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 1627.)
- May 21In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- May 14In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
- May 6Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- May 5Read second time and amended.Major
- May 1From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 1.) (April 30).Major
- Apr 30
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 23Re-referred to Com. on C. & C.Minor
- Apr 22From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on C. & C. Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 18Re-referred to Com. on C. & C.Minor
- Mar 17From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on C. & C. Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 17Referred to Com. on C. & C.Minor
- Feb 7From printer. May be heard in committee March 9.
- Feb 6Read first time. To print.Introduced