Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. Existing law requires the commission to design and implement a program to provide a telecommunications device capable of serving the needs of individuals who are deaf or hearing impaired, together with a single party line, at no charge additional to the basic exchange rate, to any subscriber who is certified as an individual who is deaf or hearing impaired by a licensed physician and surgeon, audiologist, or a qualified state or federal agency, as determined by the commission. Existing law also authorizes a physician assistant or nurse practitioner to certify the needs of an individual who has been diagnosed by a physician and surgeon as being deaf or hard of hearing to participate in the program after reviewing the medical records or copies of the medical records containing that diagnosis. Existing law additionally requires the commission to design and implement a program whereby specialized or supplemental telephone communications equipment may be provided to a subscriber who is certified to be disabled at no charge additional to the basic exchange rate. Existing law requires that the certification, including a statement of visual or medical need for specialized telecommunications equipment, be provided by a licensed optometrist, physician and surgeon, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner, acting within the scope of practice of the applicable license, or by a qualified state or federal agency as determined by the commission. Existing law additionally requires the commission to design and implement a program to provide access to a speech-generating device to a subscriber who is certified as having a speech disability at no charge additional to the basic exchange rate. Existing law requires that the certification be provided by a licensed physician, licensed speech-language pathologist, nurse practitioner, or qualified state or federal agency. This bill would remove all of the above-described certification requirements for a subscriber and would make conforming changes. 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 the bill's requirements would be a crime, this 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.
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. 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 to develop a reasonable process for a carrier of last resort to be relieved, on or before January 1, 2029, of that status in areas where customers have other options for voice service. 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.
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.
The Passenger Charter-party Carriers' Act provides for the regulation of charter-party carriers of passengers by the Public Utilities Commission and includes specific requirements for liability insurance coverage, background checks, and other regulatory matters applicable to transportation network companies, as defined, and their participating drivers, as defined. The act also requires a participating driver to carry proof of transportation network company insurance coverage with them at all times during their use of a vehicle in connection with a transportation network company's online-enabled application or platform. This bill would authorize a participating driver to carry the proof of insurance on a mobile electronic device, as provided.
Existing law establishes within the Department of Technology the Office of Broadband and Digital Literacy. The office oversees the acquisition and management of contracts for the development and construction of, and for the maintenance and operation of, a statewide open-access middle-mile broadband network, as defined, to provide an opportunity for last-mile providers, anchor institutions, and tribal entities to connect to, and interconnect with other networks and other appropriate connections to, the broadband network to facilitate high-speed broadband service, as specified. Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. Existing law requires the commission to develop, implement, and administer the California Advanced Services Fund to encourage deployment of high-quality advanced communications services to all Californians that will promote economic growth, job creation, and the substantial social benefits of advanced information and communications technologies. This bill would establish within state government the Office of Broadband and Digital Equity. This bill would establish the Office of Broadband and Digital Equity Board with members, as specified. The bill would provide the purpose of the office is to serve as a centralized state office for broadband and digital activities within the state. The bill would also specify the office has the powers and authorities to develop and implement policies to promote broadband service and to protect consumers from unfair business practices relating to broadband services.
