BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                              1
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                SENATE ENERGY, UTILITIES AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
                                 ALEX PADILLA, CHAIR
          

          AB 1012 -  V. Manuel Perez                             Hearing  
          Date:  July 7, 2009             A
          As Amended:         June 25, 2009                 FISCAL/Urgency  
                B

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                                     DESCRIPTION
           
           Current federal law  , as contained in the American Recovery and  
          Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), establishes a $4.7 billion  
          competitive grant and loan program to encourage adoption of  
          broadband technology and a similar $2.5 billion program targeted  
          to rural telephone companies.  

           This bill  requires California's Chief Information Officer (CIO)  
          to administer any monies received from the ARRA for broadband  
          projects.  The CIO shall, within 30 days, develop a strategy to  
          expedite accessing and allocating such monies.  Within 60 days  
          of the completion of the strategy, it shall be provided to the  
          relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature.

           This bill  is an urgency statute.

                                      BACKGROUND
           
          On March 26, 2009 the Governor created the California Federal  
          Economic Stimulus Task Force.  California's Chief Information  
          Officer (CIO) was charged with leading the broadband effort.   
          The CIO's office has enlisted the assistance of the California  
          Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the California Emerging  
          Technology Fund.  The ARRA authorizes federal agencies to  
          consult with states on projects within their jurisdictions.   
          States will be given the opportunity to prioritize projects that  
          pass the initial federal screening.

          On July 1 the federal government released its Notice of Funds  











          Availability for the ARRA broadband grants.  On July 10 the CPUC  
          will hold a workshop on how to apply for those funds.

                                       COMMENTS

             1.   Author Statement  - The author believes that this bill  
               will ensure that California is proactively engaged in the  
               federal broadband programs, adequately prepared to provide  
               the federal government with feedback for improving and  
               expanding California's broadband infrastructure, and able  
               to identify funding sources to secure California's fair  
               share of ARRA broadband funding.










































              2.   A Good Job so Far  - The efforts of the CIO and the CPUC  
               to plan for and organize California's efforts to access the  
               ARRA broadband funding have been generally recognized as  
               timely, competent and inclusive.  Given that, is there  
               still a need for this bill?
                                           
                                   ASSEMBLY VOTES
           
          Assembly Floor                     (78-0)
          Assembly Appropriations Committee  (15-0)
          Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee                       
          (14-0)

                                       POSITIONS
           
           Sponsor:
           
          Author

           Support:
           
          None on file

           Oppose:
           
          None on file

          




























          Randy Chinn 
          AB 1012 Analysis
          Hearing Date:  July 7, 2009