BILL NUMBER: SB 1863 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
CHAPTER 308
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE AUGUST 28, 2002
APPROVED BY GOVERNOR AUGUST 28, 2002
PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 14, 2002
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 8, 2002
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 18, 2002
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 27, 2002
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 20, 2002
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 1, 2002
INTRODUCED BY Senator Bowen
FEBRUARY 22, 2002
An act to amend Section 709 of, and to add Section 884 to, the
Public Utilities Code, relating to public utilities.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 1863, 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. The
bill would state the intent of the Legislature that the Public
Utilities Commission should provide a nonprofit community technology
program, as defined, with discounts comparable to those that are
provided to schools and libraries to address inequality of access to
advanced telecommunications services.
This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 709 of
the Public Utilities Code made by SB 1563 to be operative if this
bill and SB 1563 are enacted and become effective on or before
January 1, 2003, and this bill is enacted last.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
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 services 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 that
efficiently meets consumer need and encourages the ubiquitous
availability of a wide choice of state-of-the-art services.
(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.
(e) To promote lower prices, broader consumer choice, and
avoidance of anticompetitive conduct.
(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.
SEC. 2. 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 services 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 that
efficiently meets consumer need and encourages the ubiquitous
availability of a wide choice of state-of-the-art services.
(d) To 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.
(e) 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.
(f) To promote lower prices, broader consumer choice, and
avoidance of anticompetitive conduct.
(g) 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.
(h) To encourage fair treatment of consumers through provision of
sufficient information for making informed choices, establishment of
reasonable service quality standards, and establishment of processes
for equitable resolution of billing and service problems.
SEC. 3. Section 884 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to
read:
884. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that any program
administered by the commission that addresses the inequality of
access to advanced telecommunications services by providing those
services to schools and libraries at a discounted price should also
provide comparable discounts to a nonprofit community technology
program.
(b) For the purpose of this section, "nonprofit community
technology program" means a community-based nonprofit organization
that is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code and engages in diffusing technology into local
communities and training local communities that have no access to, or
have limited access to, the Internet and other technologies.
SEC. 4. Section 2 of this bill incorporates amendments to Section
709 of the Public Utilities Code proposed by both this bill and SB
1563. It shall only become operative if (1) both bills are enacted
and become effective on or before January 1, 2003, (2) each bill
amends Section 709 of the Public Utilities Code, and (3) this bill is
enacted after SB 1563, in which case Section 1 of this bill shall
not become operative.