BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 129
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SENATE THIRD READING
SB 129 (Wright)
As Amended June 5, 2013
2/3 vote. Urgency
SENATE VOTE :34-0
UTILITIES & COMMERCE 12-0
APPROPRIATIONS 16-0
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|Ayes:|Bradford, Patterson, |Ayes:|Gatto, Harkey, Bigelow, |
| |Buchanan, Chávez, Fong, | |Bocanegra, Bradford, Ian |
| |Beth Gaines, Garcia, | |Calderon, Campos, Eggman, |
| |Roger Hernández, Quirk, | |Gomez, Hall, Holden, |
| |Rendon, Skinner, Brown | |Linder, Pan, Quirk, |
| | | |Wagner, Weber |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | |Nays:|> |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Extends the sunset date on the California Public
Utilities Commission's (PUC's) authority to collect a surcharge
on intrastate telephone service to fund the Deaf and Disabled
Telecommunications Program (DDTP) until January 1, 2020, and
extends the reporting requirement until January 1, 2021.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Extends the reporting requirements until January 1, 2021, and
requires PUC to submit the report to the Legislature on or
before March 1 of each year.
2)Deletes provisions requiring PUC to expand DDTP to include
assistance to individuals with speech disabilities, including
assistance in purchasing speech-generating devices,
accessories, and mounting systems, and specialized
telecommunications equipment.
3)Repeals the provisions that states that existing members of
DDTP Administrative Committee should serve out their current
terms of office as members of the Committee, but not to exceed
July 1, 2003.
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4)Requires DDTP Administrative Committee to develop and submit,
not later than October 1, 2002, recommendations to PUC for
administration and governance of the deaf and disabled
programs, as prescribed.
5)Contains an urgency clause allowing this bill to take effect
immediately upon enactment.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to Assembly Appropriations Committee,
annual revenues of $35 million to $55 million to DDTP
Administrative Committee Fund (special fund) from extending the
rate surcharge authority.
COMMENTS : According to the author, "thousands of Californians
find using a standard telephone challenging because of
difficulty seeing, hearing, speaking, moving or remembering.
DDTP enables these citizens to communicate, be reached by
friends and loved-ones, and to receive health and safety
impacting services connecting them by telephone to emergency,
medical, and business entities. This legislation seeks to
continue a vital program".
Background : In 1979, legislation was enacted codifying PUC's
existing program for
providing specialized equipment to the deaf and hard of hearing.
Specifically, the statute mandated that PUC design and
implement a program to provide telecommunication devices to deaf
and hard-of hearing consumers. The program currently provides
service in three general categories: 1) specialized
telecommunications devices for deaf and hard-of-hearing
individuals; 2) dual-party relay system to connect deaf and
hard-of-hearing individuals to hearing parties; and 3)
specialized telecommunications equipment to individuals with
hearing, vision, mobility, speech and cognitive disabilities.
DDTP is administered and operated by the PUC with advisory input
from two advisory boards and with program services and equipment
provided by vendors under contract with PUC. The California
Telephone Access Program distributes equipment to individuals
who are certified as eligible by specified health care
professionals. The California Relay Service is a dual party
relay system with operators that connect a user of specialized
telecommunications devices with any other telephone user.
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DDTP funding : DDTP is funded by an all-end-user surcharge on
intrastate telephone service
including traditional wireline, Voice over Internet Protocol and
wireless service phone bills. The surcharge is billed and
collected by telecommunications carriers which, in turn, remit
the surcharge monies to a financial institution as directed by
the Commission or its representatives. The PUC is authorized to
adjust the surcharge to meet program expenses. It currently is
set at 0.20 %.
Program expansion : As required by AB 136 (Beall), Chapter 404,
Statutes of 2011, PUC currently is developing rules, to be
effective January 1, 2014, for the program to provide access to
a speech-generating device to individuals with a certified
speech disability. PUC reports that initial workshops are
underway and projects a final decision to be released later this
year.
In light of the recent DDTP expansion, this bill seeks to extend
the sunset date on PUC's authority to collect the surcharge from
January 1, 2014, to January 1, 2020. Interested stakeholders
support this extension because it will ensure that people who
are challenged using a standard telephone because of difficulty
seeing, hearing, speaking, moving or remembering continue to
receive health and safety impacting services connecting them by
telephone to emergency, medical, business and other entities.
Absent this extension, the surcharge will expire and there will
be no funds to continue to provide state mandated DDTP services,
thus impacting the health and safety of Deaf Disabled persons
needing to communicate by telephone. In addition, the state
would be out of compliance with federally mandated American
Disabilities Act.
To ensure DDTP transparency and accountability, the bill
requires PUC to submit an annual report to the Legislature on
the fiscal status and to include recommendations for any
modification to the program in order to maximize participation
and funding opportunities under similar federal programs.
Analysis Prepared by : DaVina Flemings / U. & C. / (916)
319-2083
SB 129
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FN: 0002244