BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1563|
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UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Bill No: SB 1563
Author: Polanco (D)
Amended: 8/7/02
Vote: 21
SENATE ENERGY, U.&C. COMMITTEE : 8-0, 4/23/02
AYES: Bowen, Morrow, Alarcon, Battin, Murray, Sher,
Speier, Vincent
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 9-1, 5/13/02
AYES: Alpert, Bowen, Burton, Escutia, Karnette, McPherson,
Murray, Perata, Speier
NOES: Johnson
SENATE FLOOR : 26-8, 5/28/02
AYES: Alarcon, Alpert, Bowen, Burton, Chesbro, Dunn,
Escutia, Figueroa, Karnette, Kuehl, Machado, McPherson,
Morrow, Murray, O'Connell, Ortiz, Peace, Perata, Polanco,
Romero, Scott, Sher, Soto, Speier, Torlakson,
Vasconcellos
NOES: Ackerman, Brulte, Haynes, Johnson, Knight,
McClintock, Oller, Poochigian
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 47-27, 8/23/02 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Telecommunications: services
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill a) expands the Legislature's
declaration of the State's telecommunications policy and b)
CONTINUED
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requires the State Public Utilities Commission to conduct a
proceeding to identify reasons why advanced communications
technologies are not commonly available and to develop
strategies for more widespread deployment of such
technologies.
Assembly Amendments a) change date of report; b) provide a
definition for "nonprofit community technology program";
clarify mission of the plan; and d) incorporate and
doublejoin provisions of SB 1863 (Bowen).
ANALYSIS : Current law articulates California's
telecommunications policies. These policies include
universal service, encouraging the ubiquitous availability
of a wide choice of state-of-the-art telecommunications
services, and adequate investment in telecommunications
infrastructure.
This bill expands the State's codified telecommunications
policy declarations, and requires the State Public
Utilities Commission (PUC) to develop a plan for
encouraging widespread availability of advanced
telecommunications infrastructure.
Specifically, this bill :
1.Declares that it is among the State's telecommunications
policies to:
A. Assist in bridging the "digital divide" by
encouraging expanded access to state-of-the-art
technologies for rural, inner-city, low-income, and
disabled Californians.
B. Promote economic growth, job creation, and the
substantial social benefits that will result from the
rapid implementation of advanced information and
communications technologies by adequate long-term
investment in the necessary infrastructure.
C. Encourage fair treatment of consumers through
provisions of sufficient information for making
informed choices, establishment of reasonable service
quality standards, and establishment of processes for
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equitable resolution of billing and service problems.
2.Contains doublejoining language to SB 1863 (Bowen)
relating to encouraging expanded access to
state-of-the-art technologies for rural, inner city,
low-income, and disabled Californians.
3.Requires PUC to convene a proceeding to develop a plan
for encouraging the widespread availability of advanced
telecommunication infrastructure, including a broad cross
section of the telecommunications industries,
community-based organizations, and non-profit community
technology programs.
4.Requires PUC to submit a report to the Governor and the
Legislature by December 2004 on its findings and
recommendations regarding the plan.
5.Sunsets the provisions relating to development of the
plan and the report on January 1, 2005.
Background
California's telecommunications policy has a long history
of promoting universal service and consumer-friendly
practices. Over the last several years, there's been
increasing interest in the telecommunications
infrastructure and the availability of advanced
communications service, due to a recognition of the
"digital divide" issue and the positive effects that
advanced communications infrastructure can have on the
economic development prospects of a region.
In October 2000, the U.S. Commerce Department's National
Telecommunications and Information Administration issued a
report showing that the overall level of U.S. digital
inclusion is rapidly increasing. As evidence of the rise in
the level of digital access, the report cited a 58 percent
increase in households with Internet access. It cited a 21
percent rise in the number of households with access to
computers; and a hike in the number of Americans using the
Internet from 32 percent online in December 1998 to 44
percent in August 2000.
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While Internet access and computer ownership have risen for
almost all groups, noticeable divides exist between those
with different income and education levels, different
racial and ethnic groups, old and young, single- and dual-
parent families and those with and without disabilities,
the report said. For example, persons with disabilities are
only half as likely to have access to the Internet as those
without a disability. Large gaps also remain between
Internet access rates for African-Americans and Latinos
when measured against the national average of Internet
penetration, the report said.
Comments
1.Digital Divide . The bill explicitly adds to the State's
telecommunications policies the goal of bridging the
"digital divide," which refers to the unequal degree of
access to computer and communications capabilities
throughout society and the impact of such inequality on
the quality of life for those individuals and
communities. The PUC has already taken some steps to
address the issue, notably the creation of the California
Teleconnect Fund.
Definition of Universal Service . Previous bills before
the Legislature asked or required the PUC to consider
expanding the universal service definition, which the PUC
declined to do. This bill takes a different tact by
asking the PUC to develop a plan which encourages the
deployment of advanced communications infrastructure, and
report such a plan back to the Legislature by December 1,
2004.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
ASSEMBLY FLOOR
AYES: Alquist, Aroner, Calderon, Cardenas, Cardoza,
Cedillo, Chan, Chavez, Chu, Cohn, Corbett, Correa, Diaz,
Dutra, Firebaugh, Frommer, Goldberg, Havice, Horton,
Jackson, Keeley, Kehoe, Koretz, Liu, Longville,
Lowenthal, Matthews, Migden, Nakano, Nation, Negrete
McLeod, Rod Pacheco, Papan, Pavley, Reyes, Salinas,
Shelley, Simitian, Steinberg, Strom-Martin, Thomson,
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Vargas, Washington, Wayne, Wiggins, Wright, Wesson
NOES: Aanestad, Ashburn, Bogh, Briggs, Bill Campbell, John
Campbell, Cogdill, Cox, Daucher, Dickerson, Harman,
Hollingsworth, Kelley, La Suer, Leach, Leonard, Leslie,
Maddox, Maldonado, Mountjoy, Robert Pacheco, Pescetti,
Richman, Strickland, Wyland, Wyman, Zettel
NC:kb 8/26/02 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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