BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                          AB 991
                                                          Page  1

CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 991 (Papan)
As Amended August 16, 1999
Majority vote
  
ASSEMBLY: 62-15                 ( May 27, 1999 )                 
SENATE:   36-2 ( August 24, 1999 )      
   
  Original Committee Reference:    U. & C.  

  SUMMARY  :  Requires the California Public Utilities Commission  
(CPUC) to monitor and participate in Federal Communications  
Commissions (FCC) proceedings reviewing interconnection by  
competitive data local exchange carriers to the incumbent local  
exchange carriers' (ILEC) local loop.  Requires CPUC to  
implement rules consistent with the FCC decision. 

  The Senate amendments:
  
1)Clarify that a final order of a FCC is one that is published  
  in the Federal Register.

2)Require CPUC to implement a FCC final order in a manner it  
  deems appropriate, as it pertains to loop access, pricing, and  
  cost allocation in the provision of broadband data services  
  over telephone lines provided by an incumbent local exchange  
  carrier

  EXISTING LAW  :  

  1)Authorizes CPUC to regulate public utilities, including  
  telephone corporations.  

2)Provides that the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (1996 Act) is  
  intended to stimulate competition for all services, including  
  advanced services such as high-speed data services.

  AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY  , this bill: 

1)Enacted the California High Speed Internet Act of 1999.

2)Required CPUC to monitor and participate in an FCC proceeding  
  entitled "In the Matter of Deployment of Wireline Services  
  Offering Advanced Telecommunications Capability."  









                                                          AB 991
                                                          Page  2

3)Required CPUC to comply with and implement any order issued by  
  FCC prior to January 1, 2000 within 90 days from the date that  
  such order becomes final.

4)Required CPUC to expeditiously examine the technical,  
  operational, economic and policy implications of  
  interconnection and adopt rules, if appropriate, to require  
  ILECs to permit competitive data local exchange carriers to  
  provide high bandwidth data over telephone lines, if FCC does  
  not adopt an order before January 1, 2000.

  FISCAL EFFECT  :  Absorbable costs to CPUC.




  COMMENTS  :  The Senate amendments simply clarify the content of  
the CPUC decision as it pertains to the FCC final order as  
published in the Federal Register.  


  Analysis Prepared by  :    Carolyn Veal-Hunter / U. & C. / (916)  
319-2083 


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