AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 16, 2026
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 7, 2026
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
97
Introduced by Assembly Member Carrillo
February 20, 2026
An act to amend Section 382.1 of, and to add Section add Sections 871.6 to, and 872 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to communications.
Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal committee: yes Local program: yes
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST
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.
Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or of an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime.
Because the provisions of this bill would be part of the act, and a violation of a commission action implementing its provisions 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.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
It is the intent of the Legislature that, if a successor agency to the Public Utilities Commission is created, the successor agency include low-income telecommunications oversight within its scope and purview.
Section 382.1 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read:
382.1.
(a) There is hereby established a Low-Income Oversight Board that shall advise the commission on low-income electricity, gas, telecommunications, and water customer issues and shall serve as a liaison for the commission to low-income ratepayers and representatives. The Low-Income Oversight Board shall replace the Low-Income Advisory Board in existence on January 1, 2000. The Low-Income Oversight Board shall do all of the following to advise the commission regarding the commission’s duties:
(1) Monitor and evaluate implementation of all programs provided to low-income electricity, gas, telecommunications, and water customers.
(2) Assist in the development and analysis of any assessments of low-income customer need.
(3) Encourage collaboration between state and utility programs for low-income electricity and gas customers to maximize the leverage of state and federal energy efficiency funds to both lower the bills and increase the comfort of low-income customers.
(4) Provide reports to the Legislature, as requested, summarizing the assessment of need, audits, and analysis of program implementation.
(5) Assist in streamlining the application and enrollment process of programs for low-income electricity and gas customers with general low-income programs, including, but not limited to, the Universal Lifeline Telephone Service (ULTS) program and compliance with Section 739.1.
(6) Encourage the usage of the network of community service providers in accordance with Section 381.5.
(b) The Low-Income Oversight Board shall comprise 13 members to be selected as follows:
(1) Six members selected by the commission who have expertise in the low-income community and who are not affiliated with any state agency or utility group. These members shall be selected in a manner to ensure an equitable geographic distribution.
(2) One member selected by the Governor.
(3) One member selected by the commission who is a commissioner or commissioner designee.
(4) One member selected by the Department of Community Services and Development.
(5) One member selected by the commission who is a representative of private weatherization contractors.
(6) One member selected by the commission who is a representative of an electrical or gas corporation.
(7) One member selected by the commission who is a representative of a water corporation.
(8) One member selected by the commission who is a representative of wireless lifeline providers and is affiliated with a provider with headquarters in the state.
(c) The Low-Income Oversight Board shall alternate meeting locations between northern, central, and southern California.
(d) The Low-Income Oversight Board may establish a technical advisory committee consisting of low-income service providers, utility representatives, consumer organizations, and commission staff, to assist the board and may request utility representatives and commission staff to assist the technical advisory committee.
(e) The commission shall do all of the following in conjunction with the board:
(1) Work with the board, interested parties, and community-based organizations to increase participation in programs for low-income customers.
(2) Provide technical support to the board.
(3) Ensure that the energy burden of low-income electricity and gas customers is reduced.
(4) Provide formal notice of board meetings in the commission’s daily calendar.
(f) (1) Members of the board and members of the technical advisory committee shall be eligible for compensation in accordance with state guidelines for necessary travel.
(2) Members of the board and members of the technical advisory committee who are not salaried state service employees shall be eligible for reasonable compensation for attendance at board meetings.
(3) All reasonable costs incurred by the board in carrying out its duties pursuant to subdivision (a), including staffing, travel, and administrative costs, shall be reimbursed through the public utilities reimbursement account and shall be part of the budget of the commission and the commission shall consult with the board in the preparation of that portion of the commission’s annual proposed budget.
SEC. 3.SEC. 2.
Section 871.6 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:
871.6.
In administering (a) The commission shall administer 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. technologically
inclusive manner that does not exclude any technologies or unreasonably favor one technology over another technology.
(b) The commission shall not discriminate against lifeline providers by adopting rules that favor or disfavor certain providers.
(c) This section does not affect or impede the authority of the commission to take enforcement action against any lifeline providers.
SEC. 3.
Section 872 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read:
872.
(a) There is hereby established a Low-Income Telecommunications Advisory Board, which shall advise the commission on low-income telecommunications customer issues and shall serve as a liaison for the commission to low-income customers and stakeholders. The Low-Income Telecommunications Advisory Board shall do all of the following to advise the commission regarding the commission’s duties:
(1) Monitor and evaluate implementation of all programs provided to low-income telecommunications customers.
(2) Assist in the development and analysis of any assessments of low-income telecommunications customer need.
(3) Provide reports to the Legislature, as requested, summarizing the assessment of need, audits, and analysis of program implementation.
(4) Assist in streamlining the application and enrollment process of programs for low-income telecommunications customers with general low-income programs, including, but not limited to, the Universal Lifeline Telephone Service (ULTS) program and the program described in, and compliance with, Section 739.1.
(b) The Low-Income Telecommunications Advisory Board shall be composed of five members, to be selected as follows:
(1) Two members selected by the commission who have expertise in the low-income telecommunications community and who are not affiliated with any state agency or industry group.
(2) One member selected by the commission who is a representative of a wireline lifeline provider offering service in California.
(3) One member selected by the commission who is a representative of a wireless lifeline provider offering service in California.
(4) One member selected by the commission from an organization with demonstrated experience advocating before the commission.
(c) The Low-Income Telecommunications Advisory Board may establish a technical advisory committee consisting of low-income telecommunications service providers, provider representatives, consumer organizations, and commission staff, to assist the board, and may request utility representatives and commission staff to assist the technical advisory committee.
(d) The commission shall do all of the following in conjunction with the Low-Income Telecommunications Advisory Board:
(1) Work with the Low-Income Telecommunications Advisory Board, interested parties, and community-based organizations to increase participation in programs for low-income telecommunications customers.
(2) Provide technical support to the Low-Income Telecommunications Advisory Board.
(3) Ensure that the cost burden of low-income telecommunications customers is reduced.
(4) Provide formal notice of Low-Income Telecommunications Advisory Board meetings in the commission’s daily calendar.
(e) (1) Members of the Low-Income Telecommunications Advisory Board, and members of the technical advisory committee, shall be eligible for compensation in accordance with state guidelines for necessary travel.
(2) Members of the Low-Income Telecommunications Advisory Board, and members of the technical advisory committee, who are not salaried state service employees shall be eligible for reasonable compensation for attendance at board meetings.
(3) All reasonable costs incurred by the Low-Income Telecommunications Advisory Board in carrying out its duties pursuant to subdivision (a), including staffing, travel, and administrative costs, shall be reimbursed through the Public Utilities Commission Utilities Reimbursement Account established under Section 402, and shall be part of the budget of the commission, and the commission shall consult with the board in the preparation of that portion of the commission’s annual proposed budget.
SEC. 4.
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIIIB 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 XIIIB of the California Constitution.