BILL NUMBER: AB 841	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Buchanan

                        FEBRUARY 17, 2011

   An act to amend Section 270 of the Public Utilities Code, relating
to telecommunications.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 841, as introduced, Buchanan. Telecommunications: universal
service.
   Existing law, the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996,
establishes a program of cooperative federalism for the regulation of
telecommunications to attain the goal of local competition, while
implementing specific, predictable, and sufficient federal and state
mechanisms to preserve and advance universal service, consistent with
certain universal service principles.
   Existing law establishes six funds in the State Treasury through
which the state's universal service programs are funded. Existing law
requires that moneys in the funds may only be expended for specified
purposes and upon appropriation in the annual Budget Act or upon
supplemental appropriation.
   This bill would make a nonsubstantive, technical change to this
requirement.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 270 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to
read:
   270.  (a) The following funds are hereby created in the State
Treasury:
   (1) The California High-Cost Fund-A Administrative Committee Fund.

   (2) The California High-Cost Fund-B Administrative Committee Fund.

   (3) The Universal Lifeline Telephone Service Trust Administrative
Committee Fund.
   (4) The Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program
Administrative Committee Fund.
   (5) The Payphone Service Providers Committee Fund.
   (6) The California Teleconnect Fund Administrative Committee Fund.

   (7) The California Advanced Services Fund.
   (b) Moneys in the 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   shall  only be expended
pursuant to this chapter and upon appropriation in the annual Budget
Act or upon supplemental appropriation.
   (c) Moneys in each fund may not be appropriated, or in any other
manner transferred or otherwise diverted, to any other fund or
entity, except as provided in Sections 19325 and 19325.1 of the
Education Code.