SB 1212, as amended, Hueso. “2-1-1” information and referral network.
Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), pursuant to its existing authority over the North American Numbering Plan, has established several abbreviated dialing codes, including designating the number 9-1-1 for persons to dial to obtain emergency services, designating the number 3-1-1 for persons to dial for nonemergency police assistance, and designating the number 2-1-1 for persons to dial to obtain information about, and referral to, community social services. Pursuant to authority delegated by the FCC to state regulatory bodies and its existing statutory authority, the Public Utilities Commission has established procedures for implementing 2-1-1 dialing in California.
This bill would state the intent of
the Legislature to facilitate the expansion of 2-1-1 services into those counties in California where they are lacking and to support a comprehensive statewide database that will connect all callers to information and referrals they need. The bill would additionally state the intent of the Legislature to facilitate access to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery information, and referral services, uniformly in the state, especially in hard-to-serve rural areas, through a universally available telephone service. The bill would authorize moneys appropriated to the Public Utilities Commission to be expended to help close telephone service gaps in counties lacking access to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery information, and referral services, through a universally available high-quality basic telephone service to all residents of California regardless of region. The bill would additionally authorize moneys appropriated to the Public Utilities Commission to be used to fund and improve abegin delete coordinatedend deletebegin insert
coordinated, publicly ownedend insert database to provide regional referrals to help with all aspects of disaster planning, recovery, and response.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
3(1) In order to create a statewide disaster preparedness, response,
4and recovery system and to facilitate the reach of local services to
5vulnerable populations, this act is established to expand 2-1-1
6services to all areas of California that do not currently have access
7to this vital service.
8(2) 2-1-1 service is a free, accessible, three-digit telephone
9number that gives everyone in covered areas access to needed
10community services. First established in 2005, 2-1-1 service now
11covers 38 California
counties. It is available 24 hours a day, seven
12days a week, allowing residents to access information about health
13and human services, emergency care, crisis intervention, and
14disaster preparedness, response, and recovery when they need it
15most.
16(3) 2-1-1 service is a natural hub for disaster-related information
17and plays a critical role during emergencies and disasters, such as
18fires, floods, earthquakes, terrorist attacks, and epidemics, reducing
19nonemergency call volume on 9-1-1 lines, which frees up
20emergency responders to deal with true life-or-death situations,
21thus leveraging local public safety resources.
22(4) 2-1-1 service also increases the reach of government,
23nonprofit, and community programs by offering callers information
24on and access to a variety of health and human
services, rent and
25utility assistance, physical and mental health resources,
P3 1employment opportunities, support for older Americans and
2persons with disabilities, and support for families with special
3needs.
4(5) 2-1-1 service call centers are staffed with highly trained
5specialists who have expertise in navigating the web of health and
6human services in a particular community and who have up-to-date
7information and guidance for callers in times of disaster.
8(6) 2-1-1 service call center specialists are able to answer calls
9in over 150 different languages; they are able to provide critical
10health information to otherwise hard-to-reach ethnic populations.
11(7) Twenty rural counties in California currently do not have
12access
to 2-1-1 services, creating holes in referral services and
13disaster response capability.
14(b) It is the intent of the Legislature, in enacting this act, to
15facilitate the expansion of 2-1-1 services into those counties in
16California where they are lacking and to support a comprehensive
17statewide database that will connect all callers to the information
18and referrals they need.
19(c) It is the intent of the Legislature to facilitate access to disaster
20preparedness, response, and recovery information, and referral
21services, uniformly in the state, especially in hard-to-serve rural
22areas, through a universally availablebegin insert 2-1-1end insert telephone service.
23(d) Moneys appropriated to the Public Utilities Commission
24may be expended to help close telephone service gaps in counties
25lacking access to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery
26information, and referral services, through a universally available,
27high-quality basicbegin insert 2-1-1end insert telephone service to all residents of
28California regardless of region. Moneys appropriated to the Public
29Utilities Commission may also be used to fund and improve a
30begin delete coordinatedend deletebegin insert coordinated, publicly ownedend insert database to provide
31regional referrals to help with all aspects of disaster planning,
32recovery, and response.
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