Bill Sponsor
California Senate Bill 857
Session 20212022
Telecommunications: universal service programs.
Became Law
Became Law
Became Law on Sep 28, 2022
Sponsor
First Action
Jan 19, 2022
Latest Action
Sep 28, 2022
Origin Chamber
Senate
Type
Bill
Bill Number
857
State
California
Session
20212022
Sponsorship by Party
Democrat
Author
Democrat
Principal Coauthor
Unknown
Dahle
Coauthor
Republican
Coauthor
Republican
Principal Coauthor
Democrat
Principal Coauthor
Democrat
Coauthor
Republican
Coauthor
Summary
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 and the California High-Cost Fund-B Administrative Committee Fund, 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. Existing law, until January 1, 2023, requires the commission to maintain the California High-Cost Fund-A Administrative Committee Fund (the CHCF-A program) to provide universal service rate support to small independent telephone corporations, as defined, in certain amounts in furtherance of the state's universal service commitment to the continued affordability and widespread availability of safe, reliable, high-quality communications services in rural areas of the state. Existing law, until January 1, 2023, 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 (the CHCF-B program) . This bill would extend the CHCF-A program and CHCF-B program requirements to January 1, 2028. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or an order or direction of the commission is a crime. Because the CHCF-A program and CHCF-B program, that are extended under the provisions of this bill, are within the act and a decision or order of the commission implements the programs' requirements, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program by expanding the definition of a crime. 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.
Sources
Record Created
Jan 20, 2022 12:12:50 PM
Record Updated
Nov 30, 2022 6:23:41 PM