BILL NUMBER: AB 1934	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Corbett

                        FEBRUARY 12, 2002

   An act to add Section 7910 to the Public Utilities Code, relating
to telephone corporations.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1934, as introduced, Corbett.  Telephone corporations:
background security checks.
   Existing law permits telephone corporations to construct, own,
control, operate and manage telephone lines and to provide telephone
service for compensation in the state, subject to regulation by the
Public Utilities Commission.
   This bill would require telephone corporations to conduct an
investigation into the background of applicants for employment and
persons hired under a personal services contract sufficient to
determine whether the person is a threat to the security of the
telecommunications services provided by the telephone corporation.
The background investigation of persons hired under a personal
services contract would be required to be equivalent to that
conducted for regular employees of the telephone corporation.
   Vote:  majority.  Appropriation:  no.  Fiscal committee:  no.
State-mandated local program:  no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (a) Telephone corporations generally subject their employees to
background checks to determine their suitability for the job.
   (b) These security checks generally ascertain the criminal
background history of employees and other information that may bear
on whether the employee may present a risk to the security of the
telecommunications system.
   (c) Telephone corporations often hire persons under personal
services contracts to do or perform specific functions where they
come in contact with the telecommunications system.
   (d) These persons hired under personal services contracts are not
subject to the same background checks as regular employees of the
telephone corporation.
   (e) It is the Legislature's intent that telephone corporations
retain flexibility and discretion in their hiring and retention
practices aimed at eliminating risks to the security of the
telecommunications system, subject to regulation by the Public
Utilities Commission, but that all persons that are in a position to
present a security risk be subjected to the same standards without
regard to their status as a regular employee, contract worker,
independent contractor or vendor.
  SEC. 2.  Section 7910 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to
read:
   7910.  (a) Telephone corporations shall conduct an investigation
into the background of applicants for employment sufficient to
determine whether they are a threat to the security of the
telecommunications system of the telephone corporation.
   (b) Telephone corporations shall ensure that an investigation is
conducted into the background of any person hired under a personal
services contract, including independent contractors and vendors and
employees of independent contractors and vendors, that is sufficient
to determine whether the person is a threat to the security of the
telecommunications system of the telephone corporation.  The
background investigation shall be equivalent to that conducted for
regular employees of the telephone corporation.
   (c) This section is inapplicable to persons that do not have
contact or access to telephone system equipment, the telephone
corporation's central office, or customer premises.