Amended  IN  Senate  March 20, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 860

Introduced by Senator Bradford

February 17, 2023

An act to amend Section 878 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to telecommunications. An act to add Section 11549.59 to the Government Code, relating to communications.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 860, as amended, Bradford. Telecommunications: Moore Universal Telephone Service Act. Office of Broadband and Digital Literacy: outreach.
Existing law establishes the Office of Broadband and Digital Literacy within the Department of Technology. Existing law requires the office to oversee the acquisition and management of contracts for the development and construction of a statewide open-access middle-mile broadband network, and for the maintenance and operation of the network, as specified. Existing law authorizes the office to take actions it deems necessary and appropriate for the development, acquisition, construction, maintenance, and operation of the network.
This bill would require the office to take specified actions to address affordability and increase broadband adoption, including, but not limited to, coordinating with relevant state agencies to ensure those agencies are aware of discount service and device programs and that state and local agencies provide information about discount service and device programs to eligible low-income Californians who contact those agencies for support services.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. The Moore Universal Telephone Service Act established the lifeline telephone service program in order to provide low-income households with access to affordable basic residential telephone service.

Existing law requires that a lifeline telephone service subscriber be provided with one lifeline subscription at the subscriber’s principal place of residence, and provides that no other member of that subscriber’s family or household who maintains residence at that place is eligible for lifeline telephone service. Existing law defines “household” for this purpose.

This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to that definition.

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NOYES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 11549.59 is added to the Government Code, to read:

11549.59.
 For purposes of its implementation of existing programs and within its existing budget, the office shall take the following actions to address affordability and increase broadband adoption:
(a) Coordinate with all relevant state agencies that oversee or provide services to eligible low-income California households to ensure those agencies are aware of discount service and device programs, including, but not limited to, the federal Affordable Connectivity Program.
(b) Use existing and available materials to create an awareness campaign and broad distribution of information by state and local agencies that interact with low-income California households.
(c) Ensure that state and local agencies have information in simple and accessible terms, in plain English and multiple languages, and in formats to distribute across multiple platforms and channels, including at offices of state and local agencies providing service to the public.
(d) Ensure that information related to discount service and device programs is provided to eligible low-income Californians when they contact relevant state and local agencies for support services.
(e) Include strategies for the outreach described in this section within California’s State Digital Equity Plan pursuant to Section 60304(c) of the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117–58).

SECTION 1.Section 878 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read:
878.

(a)A lifeline telephone service subscriber shall be provided with one lifeline subscription, as defined by the commission, at the subscriber’s principal place of residence, and no other member of that subscriber’s family or household who maintains residence at that place is eligible for lifeline telephone service.

(b)An applicant for lifeline telephone service may report only one address in this state as the principal place of residence.

(c)Multiple lifeline telephone service subscribers may maintain the same address if they are not members of the same household.

(d)For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1)“Adult” means any person 18 years of age or older.

(2)“Economic unit” means all adult individuals contributing to and sharing in the income and expenses of a household.

(3)“Household” means a group of individuals, including the subscriber, who are living together at the same address and as one economic unit. A household may include related and unrelated persons. If an adult has no, or minimal, income and lives with someone who provides financial support to that adult, both persons shall be part of the same household. A child under 18 years of age and living with a parent or guardian shall be part of the same household as the parent or guardian.