BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2757
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 2757 (Utilities Committee)
As Amended June 21, 2000
2/3 vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |77-0 |( May 30, 2000 |SENATE: |32-0 |( August 18, |
| | |) | | |2000 ) |
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Original Committee Reference: U. & C.
SUMMARY : Requires the California Public Utilities Commission
(CPUC) to establish and implement a toll-free number to access
telephonic reading systems for individuals with print
disabilities, and authorizes specified entities to apply to CPUC
for funds to establish and operate new telephonic reading
systems.
The Senate amendments :
1)Extend the sunset date for the Deaf and Disabled
Telecommunications Program (DDTP) to January 1, 2005,
requiring a 2/3rds vote for passage; extend the date to July
1, 2002 for CPUC to design and implement the program.
2)Provide that any agency operating a telephonic reading system
may apply to CPUC between January 1, 2001 and July 1, 2002,
for reimbursement of operational costs not paid for from funds
provided exclusively for the telephonic reading system; expand
the protocols and guidelines for telephonic reading systems.
3)Provide CPUC with authority to audit any agency or group
operating a telephonic reading center receiving DDTP funds.
4)Restrict the liability regarding content that CPUC can incur
for funding a telephonic reading center.
5)Add intent language for an $185,000 Budget appropriation for
operation of five telephonic reading centers from October 1,
2000, until September 30, 2001.
EXISTING LAW :
) Requires CPUC to establish a rate recovery mechanism through a
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surcharge on intrastate telephone service to recover the costs
for providing telecommunications devices capable of serving
the needs of the deaf, hearing impaired and disabled, known as
the DDTP Fund.
1)Establishes the DDTP Administrative Committee to advise CPUC
regarding the development, implementation, and administrations
of these programs, and the DDTP Fund as repository for the
funds collected by the surcharge.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill:
1)Expanded the scope of the advisory functions of the DDTP
Administrative Committee to encompass programs for people who
are print disabled.
2)Directed CPUC to design and implement a program to provide
toll-free access to telephonic reading systems for California
residents with print disabilities by July 1, 2001, using a
single toll-free number and authorized specified entities to
apply to CPUC for funding to establish a new telephonic
reading system.
3)Defined a telephonic reading system to be a system where a
caller can hear print material such as newspapers, magazines,
newsletters, broadcast media schedules, and other time
sensitive materials read to them which are operated by either
divisions of the State of California or nonprofit
organizations.
4)Limited expenditures to fund the program to 20% of the maximum
funds collected by the DDTP Administrative Committee Fund.
5)Required CPUC to reimburse any authorized operational expenses
that telephonic reading systems may occur after January 1,
2001, and make retroactive payments to a system after the
implementation of the measure. Made various findings and
declarations regarding the telephonic reading system and cites
the legislation as the Kevin Starr Access to Information Act
of 2000.
FISCAL EFFECT : CPUC estimates special fund costs for two staff
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positions of $82,462 during the first year and $140,924 annually
thereafter. CPUC would incur special fund costs of about
$100,000 to develop protocols and to implement the program.
Equipment start-up costs (special fund) are estimated at
$70,000, and annual operating costs (special fund) are estimated
at $60,000 for each operator of a system. The total number of
system operators is unknown, but annual costs for the six
existing systems would be over $300,000.
COMMENTS : Within the state, there are six telephonic reading
systems. Persons calling from outside the calling area of the
site's location (local calling areas are generally limited to a
radius of approximately 12 miles) cannot use the service without
incurring long distance telephone charges. This has resulted in
a significant underusage of the program by the print disabled in
this state.
DDTP was established by the Legislature [SB 1782 (Rains),
Chapter 454, Statutes of 1982] to provide telecommunications
devices to the disabled. DDTP currently funds three programs
for deaf, hearing impaired, and disabled people. The ceiling
for DDTP surcharge is set by statute at 0.5%. For 2000, CPUC is
assessing the surcharge at 0.28%, less than the authorized
amount, for a total budget of $57.4 million. This bill will not
increase the statutory cap.
Senate amendments extend the sunset date for DDTP from January
1, 2001 to January 1, 2005, and make other technical changes to
this bill. The amendments were at the request of CPUC, in order
to address technical issues with this bill, such as
incorporating the normal 18 month timeframe for CPUC to conduct
the necessary proceedings and meet various hearing and due
process requirements, jurisdiction and liability concerns,
retroactive payment of operational costs, and the extension of
the DDTP sunset date to continue the existing program.
Extension of the sunset date resulted in increasing the vote
requirement to 2/3 from a simple majority.
Analysis Prepared by : Jonathan Buttle / U. & C. / (916)
319-2083
FN:
0005943