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<ns0:Id>20250AB__242499INT</ns0:Id>
<ns0:VersionNum>99</ns0:VersionNum>
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<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-20</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:MeasureNum>2424</ns0:MeasureNum>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Carrillo</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:Authors>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Carrillo</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to amend Section 878 of, and to add Sections 871.6 and 873.5 to, the Public Utilities Code, relating to communications. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>communications</ns0:RelatingClause>
<ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:Subject>Lifeline program.</ns0:Subject>
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<ns0:DigestText>
<html:p>Existing law vests the Public Utilities 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. Existing law requires the commission, by January 15, 2017, to adopt a portability freeze rule for the lifeline program, as specified. Existing law requires that a lifeline telephone service subscriber be provided with one lifeline subscription at the subscriber’s principal place of residence, and provides that no other member of that subscriber’s family or household, as defined, who maintains residence at that place is eligible for lifeline telephone service.</html:p>
<html:p>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. The bill would establish a freeze on portability between eligible telecommunications carriers, as defined, and for the transfer of any lifeline benefits for the first 120 days after the date of enrollment of any lifeline telephone service subscriber. The bill would authorize up to three members of the same family or household to be lifeline telephone service subscribers.</html:p>
<html:p>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.</html:p>
<html:p>Because the provisions of this bill would be a part of the act and a violation of a commission action implementing its requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.</html:p>
<html:p>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.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.</html:p>
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<ns0:VoteRequired>MAJORITY</ns0:VoteRequired>
<ns0:Appropriation>NO</ns0:Appropriation>
<ns0:FiscalCommittee>YES</ns0:FiscalCommittee>
<ns0:LocalProgram>YES</ns0:LocalProgram>
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<ns0:ImmediateEffect>NO</ns0:ImmediateEffect>
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<ns0:Urgency>NO</ns0:Urgency>
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<ns0:Election>NO</ns0:Election>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
<ns0:BillSection id="id_1A426F0D-F4C6-4022-8141-55357A4A580D">
<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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Section 871.6 is added to the
<ns0:DocName>Public Utilities Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_95D0B9B2-46A0-49C9-8C78-F989C4DA0055">
<ns0:Num>871.6.</ns0:Num>
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<ns0:Content>
<html:p>In administering the lifeline program in a manner that is equitable, nondiscriminatory, and without competitive consequences, the commission shall not favor or disfavor one technology over another technology. To ensure competitive neutrality, the commission shall not unfairly advantage or disadvantage one provider over another provider.</html:p>
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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Section 873.5 is added to the
<ns0:DocName>Public Utilities Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_AE20D61B-8C69-4779-93FE-862A2EAABF1C">
<ns0:Num>873.5.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
For purposes of this section, “eligible telecommunications carrier” has the same meaning as described in Section 214 of Title 47 of the United States Code.
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<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
To combat fraud and service disruptions, and to provide stability for eligible telecommunications carriers that invest resources into lifeline program awareness and subscriber acquisition, there shall be a freeze on portability between eligible telecommunications carriers and for the transfer of any lifeline benefits for the first 120 days after the date of enrollment of a lifeline telephone service subscriber.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 3.</ns0:Num>
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Section 878 of the
<ns0:DocName>Public Utilities Code</ns0:DocName>
is amended to read:
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<ns0:Num>878.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A lifeline telephone service subscriber shall be provided with one lifeline subscription, as defined by the commission, at the subscriber’s principal place of residence, and two or fewer members of that subscriber’s family or household who maintain residence at that place
may also be lifeline telephone service subscribers if they are eligible for lifeline telephone service.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
An applicant for lifeline telephone service may report only one address in this state as the principal place of residence.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Multiple lifeline telephone service subscribers may maintain the same address if they are not members of the same household, except that three or fewer lifeline telephone service subscribers may maintain the same address if they are members of the same family or household.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Adult” means any person 18 years of age or older.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Economic unit” means all adult individuals contributing to and sharing in the income and expenses of a household.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Household” means any group of individuals, including the subscriber, who are living together at the same address and as one economic unit. A household may include related and unrelated persons. If an adult has no, or minimal, income and lives with someone who provides financial support to that adult, both persons shall be part of the same household. A child under 18 years of age and living with a parent or guardian shall be part of the same household as the parent or guardian.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 4.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII
<html:span class="ThinSpace"/>
B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII
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B of the California Constitution.
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