AB 2773, as introduced, Quirk. Broadband services.
Existing law establishes the California Teleconnect Fund Administrative Committee Fund in the State Treasury, requires that moneys from the fund only be expended upon appropriation in the annual Budget Act or upon supplemental appropriation, and requires that the moneys appropriated be utilized exclusively by the commission for authorized teleconnect programs. Existing law authorizes the commission to expend up to $2,000,000 of the unencumbered amount of those funds for the nonrecurring installation costs for high-speed broadband services for community organizations that are eligible for discounted rates, as specified. Existing law defines “high-speed broadband services” for these purposes to mean a system for the digital transmission of information over the Internet at a speed of at least 384 kilobits per second.
This bill would change the minimum speed in that definition from 384 kilobits per second to 500 kilobits per second.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 884 of the Public Utilities Code is
2amended to read:
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that any program
4administered by the commission that addresses the inequality of
5access to high-speed broadband services by providing those
6services to schools and libraries at a discounted price, provide
7comparable discounts to a nonprofit community technology
8program.
9(b) Notwithstanding any other law or existing program of the
10commission, but consistent with the purposes for which those funds
11were appropriated from the California Teleconnect Fund
12Administrative Committee Fund in Item 8660-001-0493 of Section
132.00 of the Budget Act of 2003 (Chapter 157 of the Statutes of
142003), and reappropriated in Item 8660-491 of Section 2.00 of the
15Budget Act of 2006 (Chapter 47 of the Statutes of
2006), the
16commission may expend up to two million dollars ($2,000,000)
17of the unencumbered amount of those funds for the nonrecurring
18installation costs for high-speed broadband services for community
19organizations that are eligible for discounted rates pursuant to
20Section 280.
21(c) For the purpose of this section:
22(1) “High-speed broadband services” means a system for the
23digital transmission of information over the Internet at a speed of
24at leastbegin delete 384end deletebegin insert 500end insert kilobits per second.
25(2) “Nonprofit community technology program” means a
26community-based nonprofit organization that is exempt from
27taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code
28and engages in diffusing technology into local communities and
29training local communities that have no access to, or have limited
30access to, the Internet and advanced telecommunications
31technologies.
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