BILL ANALYSIS Ó SB 1212 Page 1 Date of Hearing: August 3, 2016 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Lorena Gonzalez, Chair SB 1212 (Hueso) - As Amended June 20, 2016 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Policy |Utilities and Commerce |Vote:|15 - 0 | |Committee: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No SUMMARY: This bill authorizes the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to expend up to $1.5 million from the California Teleconnect Fund (CTF) Administrative Committee Fund for one-time costs to help close the 2-1-1 gap in counties lacking SB 1212 Page 2 access to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery information and referral services. Specifically, this bill: 1)Authorizes the CPUC to determine if expending funds from the CTF Administrative Committee Fund for purposes of 2-1-1 expansion is an appropriate use of funds collected from ratepayers. If the CPUC determines this is an appropriate use of funds, 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)Authorizes California 2-1-1 to apply for use of the funds in counties that lack 2-1-1 services. 3)Sunsets provisions of the bill on January 1, 2023. FISCAL EFFECT: 1)Up to $1.5 million (CTF Administrative Committee Fund), over five years, to assist California 2-1-1 with efforts to close service gaps. The CPUC indicates they do not have prior expertise with funding third party entities and would need to develop a new administrative process to administer these funds. The CPUC estimates annual administrative costs of approximately $131,000 to fund one position to administer the program. COMMENTS: 1)Purpose. While most counties have 2-1-1 information and referral providers, 21 counties currently lack the service. Specifically, the following 10 counties are currently SB 1212 Page 3 developing their 2-1-1 service: Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lassen, Mono, Plumas, Placer, Siskiyou, Sutter, and Yuba. Another 11 counties lack the service and do not have programs in development: Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Del Norte, Inyo, Lake, Madera, Modoc, Sierra, Trinity, and Tuolumne. This bill authorizes the CPUC to expend up to $1.5 million in CTF Administrative Committee Funds, over a five year period, for one-time activities to expand 2-1-1 services. The CTF is the California program that funds discounts for schools, libraries, and community-based organizations for certain communication services. The program is funded through a surcharge on all customers that purchase intrastate telecommunications services. According to the sponsors, 2-1-1 California, the funds are necessary to help support startup costs for counties without 2-1-1 services, such as connecting new counties to the existing infrastructure and updating databases to include relevant information and resources from the new counties. 2)Background. The national abbreviated dialing code for access to health and human services information and referral is 2-1-1. The 2-1-1 dialing code makes a connection between individuals and families in need and the appropriate community based organizations and government agencies. During emergency or disaster situations, 2-1-1 provides critical public information, such as information on shelters, food distribution, evacuations, road closures and transportation SB 1212 Page 4 issues, utility outages, school closures, medical and housing assistance, government aid, mitigation and repairs, emergency alerts, as well as public health warnings. Additionally, 2-1-1 service providers offer contact information and access to many local, state and national hotlines, including poison control, suicide, child abuse, adult abuse, teen bullying/cyber-bullying and other crises, domestic violence, veteran issues, immediate shelter, food and health needs, and many other social services that are not currently addressed by either 9-1-1 or 3-1-1 services. The CPUC authorizes one qualifying local agency in a county the use of the 2-1-1 dial code. The CPUC ruled in 2003 that 2-1-1 service would be established on a county-by-county basis. California's first 2-1-1 service launched on February 11, 2005 in Ventura County. Currently, 2-1-1 service has been approved in 37 counties, serving approximately 95 percent of California's population. Most of these counties have funded their 2-1-1 services via partnerships between local health and human services agencies and nonprofits. Analysis Prepared by:Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916) 319-2081 SB 1212 Page 5