Telecommunications: automatic dialing-announcing devices: artificial voices.

Existing law authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to control and regulate the connection of an automatic dialing-announcing device to a telephone line. Existing law defines "automatic dialing-announcing device" as any automatic equipment that incorporates a storage capability of telephone numbers to be called, or a random or sequential number generator capable of producing numbers to be called, and the capability, working alone or in conjunction with other equipment, to disseminate a prerecorded message to the telephone number called. Existing law imposes various requirements on the use of an automatic dialing-announcing device. This bill would expand that definition of "automatic dialing-announcing device" to include calls made using an artificial voice, as specified. Under existing law, a violation of any 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.