BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                  SB 1462|
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                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  SB 1462
          Author:   Padilla (D)
          Amended:  As introduced
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE ENERGY, U. &. C. COMMITTEE:   10-0, 4/20/10
          AYES:  Padilla, Dutton, Corbett, Florez, Kehoe, Lowenthal,  
            Oropeza, Simitian, Strickland, Wright
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Cox


           SUBJECT  :    Public utilities:  local exchange carriers

           SOURCE  :     Author


           DIGEST  :    This bill revises various provisions in the  
          Public Utilities Code concerning telecommunications by  
          making the reference to local exchange carriers, consistent  
          throughout.

           ANALYSIS  :    Existing law uses the terms local exchange  
          service provider, local exchange carrier, and local  
          exchange telephone corporation inconsistently and  
          interchangeably.

          This bill changes all references to local exchange carrier.

           Background
           
          The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has  
          jurisdiction over any "telephone corporation," defined as  
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                                                               SB 1462
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          any corporation or person owning, controlling, operating,  
          or managing any telephone line for compensation within the  
          state.  Each telephone corporation is required to obtain  
          from the CPUC a certificate of public convenience and  
          necessity and is subject to some level of CPUC regulation,  
          depending on the type of service provided (local, long  
          distance, wireless, etc.).

          One type of telephone corporation subject to CPUC  
          jurisdiction is a "local exchange carrier," defined as a  
          corporation or person providing service in a defined area  
          through a system of switches, transmission equipment or  
          other facilities by which a subscriber can originate and  
          terminate a telecommunications service and connect to toll  
          service.  In general terms, a local exchange carrier is the  
          company that is required to provide any customer living in  
          that company's service area with landline telephone service  
          sufficient to make local calls and connect to a long  
          distance service provider.

          This bill makes no changes to the substantive law relating  
          to pay-per-use service, changing service providers, or  
          disclosure of information.  This bill is merely a  
          continuation of the Legislature's ongoing effort to make  
          necessary technical corrections in the Public Utilities  
          Code so that service providers and the public have a clear  
          and accurate statement of their rights and obligations  
          under the law.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  No    
          Local:  No

          DLW:do  4/22/10   Senate Floor Analyses 

                       SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  NONE RECEIVED

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