Amended in Assembly August 15, 2016

Amended in Assembly June 20, 2016

Amended in Senate May 3, 2016

Amended in Senate April 26, 2016

Amended in Senate April 12, 2016

Amended in Senate March 28, 2016

Senate Bill No. 1212

Introduced by Senator Hueso

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(Coauthor: Assembly Member Gonzalez)

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February 18, 2016

An act to amend Section 280 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to telecommunications.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

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.

Existing law requires the commission to develop, implement, and administer a program to advance universal service by providing discounted rates to qualifying schools, community colleges, libraries, hospitals, health clinics, and community organizations. Existing law requires that all revenues collected by telephone corporations in rates authorized by the commission to fund this program be deposited in the California Teleconnect Fund Administrative Committee Fund. Existing law provides that moneys in the fund are held in trust and may be expended only upon appropriation in the annual Budget Act or upon supplemental appropriation and requires that all moneys appropriated to the commission from the fund be used exclusively for the program.

If the commission determines that doing so is an appropriate use of funds collected from ratepayers, the bill would, until January 1, 2023, authorize the commission to expend up to $1,500,000 from the fund to help close 2-1-1 service gaps in counties lacking access to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery information and referral services, where technically feasible, through available 2-1-1 service.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

(1) In order to create a statewide disaster preparedness, response,
and recovery system and to facilitate the reach of local services to
vulnerable populations, this act is established to expand 2-1-1
services to all areas of California that do not currently have access
to this vital service.

(2) 2-1-1 service is a free, accessible, three-digit telephone
number that gives everyone in covered areas access to needed
community services. First established in 2005, 2-1-1 service now
covers 38 California counties. It is available 24 hours a day, seven
days a week, allowing residents to access information about health
and human services, emergency care, crisis intervention, and
disaster preparedness, response, and recovery when they need it
most.

(3) 2-1-1 service is a natural hub for disaster-related information
and plays a critical role during emergencies and disasters, such as
fires, floods, earthquakes, terrorist attacks, and epidemics, reducing
nonemergency call volume on 9-1-1 lines, which frees up
emergency responders to deal with true life-or-death situations,
thus leveraging local public safety resources.

(4) 2-1-1 service also increases the reach of government,
nonprofit, and community programs by offering callers information
on and access to a variety of health and human services, rent and
utility assistance, physical and mental health resources,
employment opportunities, support for older Americans and
persons with disabilities, and support for families with special
needs.

(5) 2-1-1 service call centers are staffed with highly trained
specialists who have expertise in navigating the web of health and
human services in a particular community and who have up-to-date
information and guidance for callers in times of disaster.

(6) 2-1-1 service call center specialists are able to answer calls
in over 150 different languages; they are able to provide critical
health information to otherwise hard-to-reach ethnic populations.

(7) Twenty rural counties in California currently do not have
access to 2-1-1 services, creating holes in referral services and
disaster response capability.

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature, in enacting this act, 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 the information
and referrals they need.

(c) It is 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 2-1-1 telephone service.

SEC. 2.  

Section 280 of the Public Utilities Code is amended
to read:

280.  

(a) The commission shall develop, implement, and
administer a program to advance universal service by providing
discounted rates to qualifying schools maintaining kindergarten
or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, community colleges, libraries,
hospitals, health clinics, and community organizations, consistent
with Chapter 278 of the Statutes of 1994.

(b) There is hereby created the California Teleconnect Fund
Administrative Committee, which is an advisory board to advise
the commission regarding the development, implementation, and
administration of a program to advance universal service by
providing discounted rates to qualifying schools maintaining
kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, community
colleges, libraries, hospitals, health clinics, and community
organizations, consistent with Chapter 278 of the Statutes of 1994,
and to carry out the program pursuant to the commission’s
direction, control, and approval.

(c) All revenues collected by begin delete voice communications providers end delete
begin insert telephone corporations end insert in rates authorized by the commission to
fund the program specified in subdivision (a) shall be submitted
to the commission pursuant to a schedule established by the
commission. The commission shall transfer the moneys received
to the Controller for deposit in the California Teleconnect Fund
Administrative Committee Fund. All interest earned by moneys
in the fund shall be deposited in the fund.

(d) Except as provided in subdivisions (e) and (g), moneys
appropriated from the California Teleconnect Fund Administrative
Committee Fund to the commission shall be utilized exclusively
by the commission for the program specified in subdivision (a),
including all costs of the board and the commission associated
with the administration and oversight of the program and the fund.

(e) Moneys loaned from the California Teleconnect Fund
Administrative Committee Fund in the Budget Act of 2003 are
subject to Section 16320 of the Government Code. If the
commission determines a need for moneys in the California
Teleconnect Fund Administrative Committee Fund, the commission
shall notify the Director of Finance of the need, as specified in
Section 16320 of the Government Code. The commission may not
increase the rates authorized by the commission to fund the
program specified in subdivision (b) while moneys loaned from
the California Teleconnect Fund Administrative Committee Fund
in the Budget Act of 2003 are outstanding unless both of the
following conditions are satisfied:

(1) The Director of Finance, after making a determination
pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 16320 of the Government
Code, does not order repayment of all or a portion of any loan
from the California Teleconnect Fund Administrative Committee
Fund within 30 days of notification by the commission of the need
for the moneys.

(2) The commission notifies the Director of Finance and the
Chairperson of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee in writing
that it intends to increase the rates authorized by the commission
to fund the program specified in subdivision (a). The notification
required pursuant to this paragraph shall be made 30 days in
advance of the intended rate increase.

(f) Subdivision (e) shall become inoperative upon full repayment
or discharge of all moneys loaned from the California Teleconnect
Fund Administrative Committee Fund in the Budget Act of 2003.

(g) (1) Consistent with Decision 11-09-016 (September 8, 2011)
Decision Granting Authority to Provide Emergency Access to 211
Services in Counties and Localities Without Existing 211 Centers
and to Appoint a 211 Lead Entity, if it determines that doing so is
an appropriate use of funds collected from ratepayers, the
commission may expend up to one million five hundred thousand
dollars ($1,500,000) from the California Teleconnect Fund
Administrative Committee Fund for one-time costs to help close
2-1-1 service gaps in counties lacking access to disaster
preparedness, response, and recovery information and referral
services, where technically feasible, through available 2-1-1
service. As the lead agency appointed by the commission in
Decision 11-09-016, 2-1-1 California may apply to the commission
for use of the funds in the counties that lack 2-1-1 service. If the
commission determines that doing so is an appropriate use of funds
collected from ratepayers, these costs may include local
implementation of a coordinated database that is owned by a city
or county to provide referrals to help with nonemergency aspects
of disaster planning, recovery, and response.

(2) This subdivision shall become inoperative on January 1,
2023.