SB 318: “2-1-1” information and referral network.

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. Pursuant to authority delegated by the Federal Communications Commission to state regulatory bodies and its existing statutory authority, the Public Utilities Commission has established procedures for implementing 2-1-1 dialing in California. Existing law, until January 1, 2023, authorized the commission, if it determined that doing so was an appropriate use of funds collected from ratepayers, to expend up to $1,500,000 from the California Teleconnect Fund Administrative Committee Fund to help close 2-1-1 service gaps in counties lacking access to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery information and referral services, where technically feasible, through available 2-1-1 service. Existing law establishes various public social services programs, administered by the State Department of Social services.

This bill would, upon appropriation, require the department to establish, develop, implement, and administer the 2-1-1 Support Services Grant Program. The bill would require the department to allocate 85% of funds for grants to fund core activities of 2-1-1 agencies, including, among others, contact handling, as specified, and improving the statewide ability to manage resource and user needs data to support data sharing and delivery to health systems, government agencies and other key partners, and shared capacity for analytics and systems. The bill would also require the department to allocate 15% of funds to create a Statewide Innovation Program for the purpose of collective 2-1-1 statewide network coordination with a focus on, among others, building shared strategies and project management of state and regional initiatives and related information and services, and scaling up and assisting with the operations of 2-1-1 services in specified rural counties.

This bill would require a grant recipient to adhere to the principles of Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) standards and guidelines for information and referral services. The bill would also require a grant recipient to prepare and submit an annual report to the department, which would include the activities or services funded by the grant, the number of individuals served, and specified measures of system performance.

This bill would make related findings and declarations.