BILL ANALYSIS Ó ----------------------------------------------------------------- |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 380| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |1020 N Street, Suite 524 | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- THIRD READING Bill No: SB 380 Author: Padilla (D) Amended: 5/14/13 Vote: 21 SENATE ENERGY, UTILITIES & COMMUNIC. COMM. : 10-0, 4/16/13 AYES: Padilla, Fuller, Cannella, Corbett, De León, DeSaulnier, Hill, Knight, Wolk, Wright NO VOTE RECORDED: Pavley SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE : 5-1, 5/7/13 AYES: Evans, Corbett, Jackson, Leno, Monning NOES: Anderson NO VOTE RECORDED: Walters SUBJECT : Communications: service interruptions SOURCE : Author DIGEST : This bill requires, until January 1, 2016, a governmental entity to obtain an order, signed by a judicial officer, making specified findings before it interrupts communications services for the purpose of protecting public safety or preventing the use of those services for an illegal purpose. This bill requires that the order meet certain requirements, as specified. ANALYSIS : Existing federal law: The U.S. Constitution provides that Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably CONTINUED SB 380 Page 2 to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. (U.S. Const., 1st Amend.), as applied to the states through the 14th Amendment's Due Process Clause. Existing case law: Provides that prior restraints on speech bear a "heavy presumption" of unconstitutionality. Existing case law also provides that a prior restraint cannot be justified based on "the insistence that the statute is designed to prevent" speech that "tends to disturb the public peace and to provoke assaults and the commission of crime." Existing law provides that, if a supervising law enforcement official has probable cause to believe that a person is holding hostages and committing a crime, or is barricaded and resisting apprehension through the use or threatened use of force, the official may order a pre-designated telephone company employee to arrange to cut, reroute, or divert telephone lines to prevent telephone communication by the suspected person with anyone other than a peace officer or a person authorized by the peace officer. Among other things, existing law provides that good faith reliance on an order by a law enforcement official shall constitute a complete defense to any action brought under this section. This bill: 1.Prohibits a governmental entity, and a communications service provider acting at the request of a governmental entity, from interrupting communications service for the purpose of protecting public safety or preventing the use of the service for an illegal purpose, except pursuant to an order signed by a judicial officer finding: A. That probable cause exists that the service is being or will be used for an unlawful purpose or to assist in a violation of the law; B. That absent immediate and summary action to interrupt communications service, serious, direct, immediate and irreparable danger to public safety will result; and C. That the interruption of communications service is narrowly tailored to prevent unlawful infringement of speech that is protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. CONTINUED SB 380 Page 3 Constitution or Section 2 of Article I of the California Constitution, or a violation of any other rights under federal or state law. 1.Requires the order to: A. Clearly describe the specific communications service to be interrupted, as specified; B. Be narrowly tailored to the specific circumstances under which the order is made; C. Interfere with no more communication than necessary to achieve the its purposes; D. Authorize an interruption of service only for as long as is reasonably necessary; E. Require the interruption to cease once the danger justifying the interruption is abated; and F. Specify a process to immediately serve notice on the communications service provider to cease the interruption. 1.Authorizes a governmental entity to interrupt communications service without an order only if it reasonably determines that an extreme emergency situation exists that involves immediate danger of death and there is insufficient time, with due diligence, to first obtain a court order, provided that the interruption meets the grounds for issuance of an order as specified and that the entity does all of the following: A. Applies for a court order without delay, and no event, later than two hours after commencement of communications service; B. Provides to the communications service provider a statement of intent to apply for a court order, signed by an authorized official of the governmental entity, that clearly describes the extreme emergency circumstances, and the specific communications service to be interrupted, as specified; and C. Provides conspicuous notice of the application for a CONTINUED SB 380 Page 4 court order authorizing the communications service interruption on its Internet Web site, without delay, unless the circumstances that justify an interruption of communications services without first obtaining a court order justify not providing the notice. 1.Requires an order or a signed statement of intent that falls within the federal Emergency Wireless Protocol to be served on the California Emergency Management Agency, and requires that all other orders or statements of intent be served on the communications service providers' contact, as specified. 2.Requires a communications service provider that intentionally interrupts communications service pursuant to this bill to comply with any other applicable federal or state law, and any other rule or notification requirement, as specified. 3.Provides that good faith reliance by a communications service provider upon an order or a signed statement of intent, as specified, shall constitute a complete defense for any communications service provider against any action brought as a result of the interruption of communications service as directed by that order or statement. 4.Codifies a Legislative finding and declaration ensuring that California users of any communications service not have that service interrupted, and thereby be deprived of 911 access to emergency services or a means to engage in constitutionally protected expression, is a matter of statewide concern. 5.Makes various findings and declarations, including, among others, that: A. Interruption of communications service can be a "prior restraint" on speech; and B. Such interruption threatens public safety by depriving persons of the ability to call 911 and communicate with family, friends, employers, schools and others in an emergency; deprives persons of the ability to receive wireless emergency alerts; and impairs the ability of first responders to communicate with each other. 1.Provides definitions for various terms. CONTINUED SB 380 Page 5 2. Sunsets the provisions of this bill on January 1, 2016. Background Landline telephone service was once the only widely available means for voice communications and calling 911 for emergency assistance. Now, growing numbers of people use other technologies such as mobile wireless and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services as their primary means of communication for voice calls, texting, email, Internet access, and other uses, including access to 911. Providers of wireless service and some types of VoIP service are required to provide customers 911 access. About 70% of all 911 calls now originate from wireless service. While ubiquitous 911 access helps protect public safety, there are occasions when law enforcement seeks to shut down communications service in order to protect public safety and prevent crime. However, California law has long held that such shutdowns require prior court approval based on a finding of probable cause of illegal activity. In 1942, in a case where the State Attorney General ordered a telephone company to disconnect service for a man suspected of supplying racing information to bookmakers, a California appellate court held that no state official has the authority to suspend telephone service on mere assertion that illegal activity might take place. In 1979, the California Supreme Court held in Goldin v. PUC that interruption of telephone service at the request of law enforcement requires a court order with a finding of probable cause that the service is being used in illegal acts that, absent immediate interruption, would result in significant dangers to the public health, safety, and welfare. This requirement of a court order is enshrined in a PUC rule that governs providers of landline telephone service (Tariff Rule 31). Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) policy . In December 2011, the board of directors of BART district adopted the nation's first local policy specifying when wireless service can be shut down. This followed BART's shutdown of wireless service for three hours in August 2011 in an attempt to stop text communication by CONTINUED SB 380 Page 6 individuals organizing a rally related to an issue of great public interest. The shutdown led to criticism of BART for depriving thousands of people of the ability to call 911 and to comparisons to oppressive governments around the world that shut down communications systems in order to silence public protests and demand for democratic freedoms. BART's new policy allows BART to interrupt wireless service if BART officials determine there is strong evidence of imminent unlawful activity that threatens public safety, substantial disruption of public transit services, or destruction of BART property, among other considerations. The policy does not require any court or other review of BART officials' determination that a shutdown is justified. FCC action . At the time BART adopted its policy, the Chairman of the FCC stated that open and available communications networks are critical to democracy, the economy, and public safety. On March 1, 2012, the FCC issued a Public Notice asking for public comment on legal and policy many issues related to intentional interruptions of wireless service by, or at the request of, a government actor for the purpose of ensuring public safety. A major theme of comments was that, in all but the most extreme case, a shutdown of wireless service creates more public safety problems than it solves because people in a crisis cannot call 911 for help and cannot receive emergency wireless alerts, and communication among first responders will be impaired. To date, the FCC has not proposed any rules or policy guidance. Prior Legislation This bill is substantially similar to SB 1160 (Padilla, 2012), which Governor Brown vetoed, but with the following changes that the author states respond to the Governor's veto message: Unlike SB 1160, this bill makes no change to current law authorizing law enforcement to order a cut, divert, or reroute a telephone line based on probable cause in hostage and barricade situations under Section 7907 of the Public Utilities Code. Revises and simplifies the determination law enforcement must make when seeking to interrupt communications in an CONTINUED SB 380 Page 7 emergency situation when there is insufficient time to first obtain a court order. Makes legislative findings including that, with more than 85% of American adults owning a wireless device, and use of wireless services and platforms expanding every day, protecting these wireless services from interruption is more important than ever in order to protect commerce, public safety, and First Amendment freedoms that are the core of democracy. FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No Local: No SUPPORT : (Verified 5/15/13) American Civil Liberties Union Northern California AT&T California Cable and Telecommunications Association OPPOSITION : (Verified 5/15/13) Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : The California Cable and Telecommunications Association (CCTA), "recognizes that SB 380 is in response to the 2011 Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) incident where cell phone service was disconnected in order to prevent communication during a public demonstration. The proposed legislation would ensure that Californians are not unreasonably deprived of their right to engage in constitutionally protected expression, nor the ability to connect with the state's 911 emergency services. Specifically, SB 380 prohibits a governmental entity and a communications provider acting at the request of a governmental entity, from interrupting communications service in order to protect public safety or prevent the use of communications service for illegal purpose, without an Order signed by a judicial officer. Notwithstanding your concern and others regarding free speech, the bill addresses the legitimate concerns for public safety by providing for the disruption of communications service without a court order if the governmental entity reasonably determines that an extreme emergency exists CONTINUED SB 380 Page 8 and also recognizes the need for communications provider to be able to manage their systems. CCTA member companies provide advanced digital voice services throughout California. The efficient and lawful operation and use of our networks is critical to the provision of our services, and we believe that SB 380 strikes the right balance in protecting free speech and public safety, and the ability of our members to operate their networks." ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office writes, "We believe that SB 380 will result in a threat to public safety, particularly in relation to crimes involving terrorist acts, natural disasters, hostage/barricade situations, and other extreme emergencies. This could cause loss of life or serious physical injury to citizens and law enforcement personnel. Recent amendments made the bill worse. As written SB 380, could limit the ability of law enforcement to respond in a timely manner to extreme emergencies. SB 380 is intended to prevent a situation where cell phone or other communication service is interrupted in order to prevent a peaceful demonstration. This was alleged to have occurred in the interruption of cell phone service by BART during a protest in the Bay Area. The bill addresses the above problem by narrowing the standard for shutting down phone service to a situation where the phone is used for an unlawful purpose or to assist in the violation of the law and there is a "serious, direct, (and) immediate danger immediate to public safety, health or welfare. We agree with the above portion of the bill. It fully addresses the BART situation. However, SB 380 goes beyond the stated purpose of the bill and unnecessarily interferes with law enforcement's ability to temporarily cut-off a phone or phones during an extreme emergency." (JG:k):ej 5/15/13 Senate Floor Analyses SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE CONTINUED SB 380 Page 9 **** END **** CONTINUED