California 2017-2018 Regular Session Status: Passed Assembly 1 D cosponsors

AB 2537 — Telecommunications universal service programs: Lifeline Oversight Board.

Last action — In committee: Held under submission.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Assembly
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 2017-2018 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Assembly” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. The Moore Universal Telephone Service Act established the Universal Lifeline Telephone Service (ULTS) program. In carrying out the ULTS program, the commission is required annually to designate a class of lifeline service necessary to meet minimum residential communications needs, to set the rates and charges for that service, to develop eligibility criteria for that service, and to assess the degree of achievement of universal service. Funding for the ULTS program is provided through a surcharge established by the commission on specified communications services, moneys from which are deposited into the Universal Lifeline Telephone Service Trust Administrative Committee Fund and are made available to the commission, upon appropriation, exclusively for the ULTS program. Existing law creates the Universal Lifeline Telephone Service Trust Administrative Committee, which is an advisory board to advise the commission regarding the development, implementation, and administration of the ULTS program and to carry out the ULTS program pursuant to the commission's direction, control, and approval. This bill would repeal language creating the Universal Lifeline Telephone Service Trust Administrative Committee and instead establish the Lifeline Oversight Board both to advise the commission on the effective development, implementation, and administration of the lifeline program to ensure lifeline service is available to the people of the state, and to serve as a liaison between the commission and low-income subscribers and their representatives to carry out the program pursuant to the commission's direction, control, and approval. The board would be composed of 11 members, selected by the commission as specified, and the bill would require that board meetings alternate locations between northern, central, and southern California to maximize participation from consumers in those regions. The bill would require the commission to (1) assign staff and provide technical support to the board, and work with the board and other specified entities to increase participation in the lifeline program, (2) ensure the needs of low-income lifeline subscribers are met, and (3) provide formal notice of board meetings in the commission's daily calendar. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because certain of the provisions of this bill would be a part of the act and because a violation of an order or decision of the commission implementing its requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. In committee: Held under submission.

  2. In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  3. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 1.) (June 27). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  4. Referred to Com. on E., U. & C.

  5. In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

  6. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 54. Noes 24. Page 5605.)

  7. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  8. Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

  9. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 12. Noes 4.) (May 25).

  10. In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  11. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  12. Read second time and amended.

  13. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 4.) (April 25).

  14. Referred to Com. on C. & C.

  15. From printer. May be heard in committee March 17.

  16. Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 121 not signed on · 8 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (121)

121 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

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Votes

Placed on suspense file

Passed 7 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 6000
Democratic 1000
Total 7000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (7)
Member Party Vote
Bates — Yea
Hill — Yea
Portantino — Yea
Nielsen — Yea
Beall — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Yea

Official roll call →

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

Passed 9 Yea · 1 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 6101
Democratic 3000
Total 9101
% of votes cast 82%9%0%9%
How each member voted (11)
Member Party Vote
Bradford — Yea
Cannella — Not Voting
Hertzberg — Yea
Hill — Yea
Hueso — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Vidak — Yea
Morrell — Nay
McGuire, Mike Democratic Yea
Stern, Henry I. Democratic Yea
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Yea

Official roll call →

AB 2537 CARRILLO Assembly Third Reading

Passed 54 Yea · 24 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 391800
Democratic 15000
Republican 0600
Total 542400
% of votes cast 69%31%0%0%
How each member voted (78)
Member Party Vote
Acosta — Nay
Bloom — Yea
Brough — Nay
Harper — Nay
Jones-Sawyer — Yea
Medina — Yea
Melendez — Nay
Nazarian — Yea
Santiago — Yea
Waldron — Yea
Wood — Yea
Eggman — Yea
Burke — Yea
Chau — Yea
Chu — Yea
Daly — Yea
Gloria — Yea
Low — Yea
Mullin — Yea
Quirk — Yea
Rodriguez — Yea
Thurmond — Yea
Ting — Yea
Weber — Yea
Gonzalez Fletcher — Yea
Salas — Yea
Gray — Yea
Rubio — Yea
Friedman — Yea
Fong — Nay
Holden — Yea
Kamlager-Dove — Yea
Kiley — Nay
Levine — Yea
Maienschein — Nay
Mathis — Nay
Mayes — Nay
McCarty — Yea
O'Donnell — Yea
Obernolte — Nay
Rendon — Yea
Steinorth — Nay
Chiu — Yea
Baker — Nay
Bigelow — Nay
Chávez — Nay
Cooley — Yea
Cooper — Yea
Cunningham — Nay
Voepel — Nay
Frazier — Yea
Cristina Garcia — Yea
Eduardo Garcia — Yea
Jim Patterson — Nay
Mark Stone — Yea
Travis Allen — Nay
Wendy Carrillo — Yea
Aguiar-Curry, Cecilia M. Democratic Yea
Arambula, Joaquin Democratic Yea
Berman, Marc Democratic Yea
Bonta, Mia Democratic Yea
Caballero, Anna M. Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Cervantes, Sabrina Democratic Yea
Gipson, Mike A. Democratic Yea
Grayson, Timothy S. Democratic Yea
Irwin, Jacqui Democratic Yea
Kalra, Ash Democratic Yea
Limón, Monique Democratic Yea
Muratsuchi, Al Democratic Yea
Quirk-Silva, Sharon Democratic Yea
Reyes, Eloise Gómez Democratic Yea
Chen, Phillip Republican Nay
Choi, Steven S. Republican Nay
Dahle, Megan Republican Nay
Flora, Heath Republican Nay
Gallagher, James Republican Nay
Lackey, Tom Republican Nay

Official roll call →

Do pass as amended.

Passed 12 Yea · 4 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 9301
Democratic 3000
Republican 0100
Total 12401
% of votes cast 71%24%0%6%
How each member voted (17)
Member Party Vote
Bigelow — Nay
Bloom — Yea
Brough — Not Voting
Nazarian — Yea
Obernolte — Nay
Quirk — Yea
Gonzalez Fletcher — Yea
Fong — Nay
Chau — Yea
Eggman — Yea
Friedman — Yea
Eduardo Garcia — Yea
Wendy Carrillo — Yea
Bonta, Mia Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Reyes, Eloise Gómez Democratic Yea
Gallagher, James Republican Nay

Official roll call →

Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

Passed 8 Yea · 4 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 3000
Unaffiliated 5401
Total 8401
% of votes cast 62%31%0%8%
How each member voted (13)
Member Party Vote
Low — Yea
Maienschein — Nay
Mathis — Nay
Obernolte — Nay
Rodriguez — Not Voting
Holden — Yea
O'Donnell — Yea
Santiago — Yea
Eduardo Garcia — Yea
Jim Patterson — Nay
Bonta, Mia Democratic Yea
Cervantes, Sabrina Democratic Yea
Quirk-Silva, Sharon Democratic Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety labor technology
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Frequently asked questions

What does AB 2537 do?
Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. The Moore Universal Telephone Service Act established the Universal Lifeline Telephone Service (ULTS) program. In carrying out the ULTS program, the commission is required annually to designate a class of lifeline service necessary to meet minimum residential communications needs, to set the rates and charges for that service, to develop eligibility criteria for that service, and to assess the degree of achievement of universal service. Funding for the ULTS program is provided through a surcharge established by the commission on specified communications services, moneys from which are deposited into the Universal Lifeline Telephone Service Trust Administrative Committee Fund and are made available to the commission, upon appropriation, exclusively for the ULTS program. Existing law creates the Universal Lifeline Telephone Service Trust Administrative Committee, which is an advisory board to advise the commission regarding the development, implementation, and administration of the ULTS program and to carry out the ULTS program pursuant to the commission's direction, control, and approval. This bill would repeal language creating the Universal Lifeline Telephone Service Trust Administrative Committee and instead establish the Lifeline Oversight Board both to advise the commission on the effective development, implementation, and administration of the lifeline program to ensure lifeline service is available to the people of the state, and to serve as a liaison between the commission and low-income subscribers and their representatives to carry out the program pursuant to the commission's direction, control, and approval. The board would be composed of 11 members, selected by the commission as specified, and the bill would require that board meetings alternate locations between northern, central, and southern California to maximize participation from consumers in those regions. The bill would require the commission to (1) assign staff and provide technical support to the board, and work with the board and other specified entities to increase participation in the lifeline program, (2) ensure the needs of low-income lifeline subscribers are met, and (3) provide formal notice of board meetings in the commission's daily calendar. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because certain of the provisions of this bill would be a part of the act and because a violation of an order or decision of the commission implementing its requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Who sponsors AB 2537?
AB 2537 is sponsored by Carrillo, Juan (Democratic).
What is the current status of AB 2537?
This bill died with 2017-2018 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Assembly” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track AB 2537?
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