BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



          
           AB 1104
                                                                  Page  1

          CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
          AB 1104 (Levine)
          As Amended July 5, 2005
          Majority vote
           
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          |ASSEMBLY:  |73-0 |(May 9, 2005)   |SENATE: |38-0 |July 7, 2005   |
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           Original Committee Reference:   U. & C.  

           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.

           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.  This bill utilizes the existing framework  
          established in the Cable Television and Video Provider Service  
          and Information Act (Act) to extend this small, but important  
          consumer protection to all Californians.

          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.  For example, the Sacramento Metropolitan  
          Cable Commission indicates that over 20% of customer complaints  
          arise from these termination of service issues.  While some  
          local jurisdictions impose unique termination of service  
          regulations, no statewide standard exists.  This bill creates a  
          statewide standard, while providing for implementation and  
          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 existing Act encourages the establishment of customer  








          
           AB 1104
                                                                  Page  2

          service standards, including standards regarding the  
          installation, disconnection, service and repair obligations,  
          employee identification and service call response time and  
          scheduling.  This bill adds additional termination of service  
          provisions to that Act.


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Adam Hunt / U. & C. / (916) 319-2083


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