BILL NUMBER: SB 1863	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 1, 2002

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Bowen

                        FEBRUARY 22, 2002

   An act to amend Section  882   709  of
the Public Utilities Code, relating to public utilities.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1863, as amended, Bowen.  Telecommunications services. 
   Existing law declares the Legislature's policies for
telecommunications in California.
   This bill would include, in the Legislature's policies for
telecommunications in California, providing educational institutions,
health care institutions, community based organizations, and
governmental institutions with access to advanced telecommunications
services in recognition of their economic and societal impact. 

   Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission to open a
proceeding, or as part of existing proceedings, to consider ways to
ensure that advanced telecommunications services are made available
as ubiquitously and economically as possible to California's
citizens, institutions, and businesses.  Existing law requires the
commission, in the proceeding or proceedings, to develop rules,
procedures, orders, or strategies that seek to provide the state's
educational and health care institutions with access to advanced
communications services.
   This bill would also require the commission to develop rules,
procedures, orders, or strategies that seek to provide the state's
nonprofit community technology centers with access to advanced
communications services. 
   Vote:  majority.  Appropriation:  no.  Fiscal committee:  
yes   no  . State-mandated local program:  no.


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

  
  SECTION 1.  Section 882 of the Public Utilities Code is 

  SECTION 1.  Section 709 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to
read: 
   709.  The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the policies
for telecommunications in California are as follows:
   (a) To continue our universal service commitment by assuring the
continued affordability and widespread availability of high-quality
telecommunications service to all Californians.
   (b)  To focus efforts on providing educational institutions,
health care institutions, community based organizations, and
governmental institutions with access to advanced telecommunications
services in recognition of their economic and societal impact.
   (c)  To encourage the development and deployment of new
technologies and the equitable provision of services in a way which
efficiently meets consumer need and encourages the ubiquitous
availability of a wide choice of state-of-the-art services.  

   (c)  
   (d)  To 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.  
   (d)  
   (e)  To promote lower prices, broader consumer choice, and
avoidance of anticompetitive conduct.  
   (e)  
   (f)  To remove the barriers to open and competitive markets
and promote fair product and price competition in a way that
encourages greater efficiency, lower prices, and more consumer
choice.    amended to read:
   882.  (a) The Public Utilities Commission shall, as soon as
practicable, open a proceeding or proceedings to, or as part of
existing proceedings shall, consider ways to ensure that advanced
telecommunications services are made available as ubiquitously and
economically as possible, in a timely fashion, to California's
citizens, institutions, and businesses.  The proceeding or
proceedings should be completed within one year of commencement.
   (b) The proceeding or proceedings shall develop rules, procedures,
orders, or strategies, or all of these, that seek to achieve the
following goals:
   (1) To provide all citizens and businesses with access to the
widest possible array of advanced communications services.
   (2) To provide the state's educational institutions, health care
institutions, and nonprofit community technology centers with access
to advanced communications services.
   (3) To ensure cost-effective deployment of technology so as to
protect ratepayers' interests and the affordability of
telecommunications services.
   (c) In the proceeding or proceedings, the commission should also
consider, but need not limit its consideration to, all of the
following:
   (1) Whether the definition of universal service should be
broadened.
   (2) How to encourage the timely and economic development of an
advanced public communications infrastructure, which may include a
variety of competitive providers.