BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1477
Page 1
GOVERNOR'S VETO
AB 1477 (Hertzberg)
As Amended September 7, 2001
2/3 vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |74-1 |(June 4, 2001) |SENATE: |24-7 |(September 10, |
| | | | | |2001) |
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|ASSEMBLY: |71-5 |(September 12, | | | |
| | |2001) | | | |
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Original Committee Reference: G.O.
SUMMARY : Allows cities, counties, and certain joint powers
authorities to establish a 311 non-emergency system and
authorizes a surcharge increase of up to 0.25% in those locales
which opt to provide the non-emergency system.
The Senate Amendments reduce the 311 surcharge authorized by
this bill from of 1% to
of 1%, and provide chaptering-out amendments along with various
other technical changes.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Establishes 911 as the primary emergency telephone number in
the state and requires local and state public safety agencies
to participate in the emergency telephone system. The system
is financed by a surcharge imposed upon all residential and
business telephone bills, and caps the surcharge at 0.75% of a
customer's phone bill.
2)Requires state and local agencies to maintain a secondary
number for non-emergency telephone calls.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill allowed cities, counties,
and certain joint powers authorities to establish a 311
AB 1477
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non-emergency system and authorized a surcharge increase of up
to of 1% of the 911 charge in those locales which opt to
provide the non-emergency system.
FISCAL EFFECT : The Senate Appropriations Committee estimates a
$25 million revenue increase.
COMMENTS : Current law imposes a surcharge on intrastate
telephone service. The Department of General Services (DGS)
sets the rate each September 1, up to a maximum 0.75% rate. The
current rate is 0.72%. The Board of Equalization collects the
surcharge from about 500 telephone suppliers. Revenues
deposited in the 911 fund are used to support the state's
emergency telephone system. This bill would require DGS to
determine a surcharge rate of up to 0.25% on intrastate
telephone service in each jurisdiction opting to provide the
non-emergency system.
This bill avoids a chaptering-out conflict with SB 896
(Poochigian).
GOVERNOR'S VETO MESSAGE :
This bill would authorize every local public agency to
establish a 311
non-emergency telephone system. This 311 system would be
funded by a
state-imposed surcharge of 1/4 of 1% (0.25%) on
intrastate telephone
communication services.
The bill would require the Department of General Services
(DGS) to develop
technical and operational standards for the development of
a coordinated 311
system, review locally submitted plans and monitor such
plans for compliance.
DGS would determine if an increase to the surcharge is
needed, and it would
also be responsible for the disbursement of collected
funds from the surcharge
to public agencies and communications equipment suppliers
AB 1477
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for costs associated
with the 311 system. While I agree with the author that
the 911 emergency
system is overburdened in some jurisdictions, I believe
that the solution
provided by AB 1477 is unnecessary at this time.
First, DGS has conducted research on the implementation of
non-emergency pilot
projects and has recommended that the State not invest in
a 311 system without
conclusive information regarding the relative benefits of
such a program.
Because this bill would authorize an additional surcharge
on telephone users
to support this program, there should be ample
justification to support the
proposed level of the increase. However, none of the
pilot studies authorized
by previous legislation have been able to provide this
justification. In
addition, local governments are already authorized to
impose telephone
surcharges on users within their jurisdictions, and may
use those revenues to
establish non-emergency telephone systems. To the extent
that individual
communities determine a 311 program to be beneficial,
local jurisdictions may
implement such programs under existing law and I would
encourage such a local
initiative.
Analysis Prepared by : Jemahl ?men/ G.O. / (916) 319-2531
FN: 0003932