BILL NUMBER: SB 1563	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Polanco

                        FEBRUARY 20, 2002

   An act to add Section 2890.2 to the Public Utilities Code,
relating to telecommunications.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1563, as introduced, Polanco.    Telecommunications:  consumer
rights.
   Existing law authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to
regulate public utilities, including telephone corporations.
   This bill would require the commission, in developing its
telecommunications priorities for the 21st century, to take action in
order to reaffirm the highest priority for maintaining the rights of
every citizen of the state to access quality telecommunications
services.  Specifically, the bill would require the commission to
develop a strategy to ensure that consumer choice is provided,
articulate the vision of an improved telecommunications
infrastructure, encourage the development of a broadly accessible
telecommunications network that ultimately leads to the future
development of an integrated voice, video, and data
telecommunications system, and develop a low income market plan that
deploys innovative strategies to serve low-income customers.  The
bill would also require the commission to support the basic rights of
the state's consumers to products and services consistent with the
state's public trust obligation to universal, accessible, and
affordable telecommunications services, to quality service and
performance of telecommunications tools, to fair and honest
treatment, including prompt and equitable resolution of billing and
service problems, to public information that is necessary to allow
consumers to make timely and informed choices about products and
services, to protect and preserve the confidentiality of consumers'
individual records and use patterns, to choose telecommunications
services from among a wide array of products and services accessible
to all consumers, and to be heard by telecommunications providers to
facilitate the development of fair and consumer friendly policy
formation by telecommunications providers.
   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.  Section 2890.2 is added to the Public Utilities Code,
to read:
   2890.2.  The commission, in developing its telecommunications
priorities for the 21st century, shall do all of the following in
order to reaffirm the highest priority for maintaining the rights of
every citizen of the state to access quality telecommunications
services:
   (a) Develop a strategy to ensure that consumer choice is provided
within a public policy framework that does not expose major segments
of the state's telecommunications market, particularly low-income
customers, to the development of a public infrastructure that is
likely to become inferior to information age infrastructure targeted
to more lucrative markets by competition.
   (b) Articulate the vision of an improved telecommunications
infrastructure that actively considers the risks inherent in a purely
competitive policy that relegates the state's historical investment
in a copper transmission system to a second tier network as more
competitive fiber networks capture lucrative portions of the market.

   (c) Encourage the development of a broadly accessible
telecommunications network, including an appropriate regulatory and
financial support structure and mechanism for utilization of public
and private partnerships, as needed, that ultimately leads to the
future development of an integrated voice, video, and data
telecommunications system.
   (d) Develop a low income market plan that deploys innovative
strategies to serve low income consumers.
   (e) Support the following general principles as the basic rights
of the state's consumers in the 21st century telecommunications
market:
   (1) The right to products and services consistent with the state's
public trust obligation to universal, accessible, and affordable
telecommunications services.
   (2) The right to quality service and performance of
telecommunications tools.
   (3) The right to fair and honest treatment, including prompt and
equitable resolution of billing and service problems.
   (4) The right to all public information that is necessary to allow
consumers to make timely and informed choices about
telecommunications products and services.
   (5) The right to protect and preserve the confidentiality of
consumers' individual records and use patterns.
   (6) The right to choose telecommunications services from among a
wide array of products and services accessible to all consumers.
   (7) The right to be heard by telecommunications providers to
facilitate the development of fair and consumer friendly policy
formation by telecommunications providers.