AB 2424: Public Utilities Commission: communications: low-income customers.

Existing law establishes the Low-Income Oversight Board with 11 specified members, including 5 members selected by the Public Utilities Commission who have expertise in the low-income community and who are not affiliated with any state agency or utility group and one member selected by the commission who is a representative of an electrical or gas corporation. Existing law and requires the board Low-Income Oversight Board to advise the commission Public Utilities Commission on low-income electricity, gas, and water customer issues, and to, among other things, monitor and evaluate implementation of all programs provided to low-income electricity, gas, and water customers.

This bill would increase the membership of the board to 13 members by adding an additional member selected by the commission who has expertise in the low-income community and who is not affiliated with any state agency or utility group and an additional member selected by the commission who is a representative of wireless lifeline providers and is affiliated with a provider with headquarters in the state. establish the Low-Income Telecommunications Advisory Board with specified membership. The bill would require the board to also Low-Income Telecommunications Advisory Board to, among other things, advise the commission on low-income telecommunications customer issues issues, serve as a liaison for the commission to low-income customers and stakeholders, provide certain reports to the Legislature, and to monitor and evaluate implementation of all programs provided to low-income telecommunications customers. customers, as provided. The bill would require the commission, in conjunction with the Low-Income Telecommunications Advisory Board, to increase participation in programs for low-income telecommunications customers and ensure that the cost burden of low-income telecommunications customers is reduced, as specified.

Existing law vests the commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. Existing law, the Moore Universal Telephone Service Act, establishes the Universal Lifeline Telephone Service program to provide low-income households with access to affordable basic residential telephone service.

This bill would prohibit the commission, in administering the lifeline program, from favoring or disfavoring one technology over another technology and from unfairly advantaging or disadvantaging one provider over another provider. require the commission to administer the lifeline program in a technologically inclusive manner and would prohibit the commission from discriminating against lifeline providers by adopting rules that favor or disfavor certain providers.