BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 2283
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 12, 2004

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                   Judy Chu, Chair

                      AB 2283 (Chu) - As Amended:  May 4, 2004 

          Policy Committee:                              UtilitiesVote:7-4

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          Yes    Reimbursable:  No 

           SUMMARY  

          This bill provides a process for implementing the  
          nationally-designated 2-1-1 system for non-emergency community  
          information and referral services. 

          1)Makes the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) responsible for  
            selecting community information and referral providers under  
            the nationally-designated 2-1-1 system. 

          2)Authorizes the PUC to select a lead entity responsible for  
            implementing the 2-1-1 system throughout the state. 

          3)Requires the lead entity to allocate any federal funds  
            received for 2-1-1 implementation. 

          4)Requires the lead entity to provide a separate accounting for  
            any federal and state funds received for 2-1-1 and to report  
            annually on funding and expenditures under the program.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          1)First-year costs of $160,000 for personnel to determine the  
            designation of a lead agency and to establish funding accounts  
            and oversight procedures.  

          2)Ongoing cost of about $80,000 for PUC oversight.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Background  . The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has  
            designated 2-1-1 as a national abbreviated dialing code to be  
            used to access non-emergency community information and  








                                                                  AB 2283
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            referral providers. In areas where the 2-1-1 dialing has been  
            implemented, a party dialing 2-1-1 is automatically routed to  
            a service that can provide information concerning available  
            social services. The system works much the same way 9-1-1  
            dialing is used for emergency situations, but is funded  
            through private and public grants rather than telephone  
            surcharges. Pursuant to an FCC order, the PUC has issued a  
            decision establishing the procedures needed to authorize 2-1-1  
            dialing in California, and has authorized 2-1-1 programs in  
            Los Angeles, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties. Five other  
            applications are also pending at the commission. 

           2)Purpose  . This bill, sponsored by the California Alliance of  
            Information and Referral Services, will create a lead entity  
            responsible for the planning, administrative, fiscal, and  
            reporting functions required under any state or federal 2-1-1  
            funding program, as well as allocating any available funding.  
            According to the sponsor, though 2-1-1 dialing is beginning to  
            appear in the state's larger urban counties, without a single  
            administrative entity, 2-1-1 dialing will take a long time to  
            reach the smaller and rural counties.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081