BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1104
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 25, 2005
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON UTILITIES AND COMMERCE
Lloyd E. Levine, Chair
AB 1104 (Levine) - As Amended: April 19, 2005
SUBJECT : Utility charges: utility and cable billing practices.
SUMMARY : Requires a cable operator or other video service
provider to cease billing a customer for utility service within
seven business days of receiving a request to discontinue
service or by midnight of the last day of service if the
customer provides seven or more business days notice before the
date for the discontinuance of service.
EXISTING LAW: Establishes the Cable Television and Video
Provider Customer Service and Information Act, which sets forth
basic consumer protections for cable television customers in
California.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown.
COMMENTS : According to the author, this bill sets a minimum
standard to ensure that cable television and video service
customers are not billed after requesting to have their service
terminated. The bill utilizes the existing framework
established in the Cable Television and Video Provider Service
and Information Act to extend this small, but important consumer
protection to all Californians.
1)Need for this bill: Approximately one year ago the author
indicates receiving information
that customers of a particular cable television operator were
being billed for service months after they requested their
service be disconnected. Data from several local franchising
authorities indicates that this is a developing problem in the
industry. While some local jurisdictions impose unique
termination of service regulations, no statewide standard exists
to remedy these issues. This bill adds a statewide standard,
while providing for enforcement at the local level.
Regulation of cable television in California: While most cable
television regulation in California is established at the local
level, the Cable Television and Video Provider Service and
Information Act encourages the establishment of customer service
AB 1104
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standards, including standards regarding the installation,
disconnection, service and repair obligations, employee
identification and service call response time and scheduling.
This bill goes one step further by spelling out specific
provisions for the obligations of customers that request the
termination of their cable service or video service as well as
the duties of the video service provider from which they receive
service.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
None on file.
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Adam Hunt / U. & C. / (916) 319-2083