California Teleconnect Fund Administrative Committee Fund.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on how expanded eligibility will be funded or specify all potential impacts on current practices.

California Teleconnect Fund Administrative Committee Fund

AB-2790 updates the California Teleconnect Fund to include more types of schools and libraries, changes how discounts are applied for telecommunications services, and clarifies that violations will be treated as crimes.

What This Bill Does

• Expands the list of eligible organizations for discounted rates under the California Teleconnect Fund to include preschools, transitional kindergarten programs, public libraries, and noninstructional facilities operated by schools or libraries.
• Requires service providers to apply federal E-rate discounts before applying any additional state discounts for telecommunications services.
• Updates the Public Utilities Commission's responsibilities regarding the administration of discounted rates under the California Teleconnect Fund.

Who It Names or Affects

• Schools, school districts, and county offices of education that serve preschool through grade 12 students.
• Public libraries and public library systems.
• Service providers offering telecommunications services to eligible organizations.

Terms To Know

Universal Service

A goal in the United States to ensure that all Americans have access to a minimum level of telecommunications service at affordable rates.

E-rate Program

A federal program that provides discounts to help schools and libraries pay for Internet access and other telecommunications services.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how the expanded eligibility will be funded.
• It is unclear what specific changes this bill will make to current practices beyond those explicitly stated.

Official Summary Text

AB 2790, as introduced, Committee on Communications and Conveyance.
California Teleconnect Fund Administrative Committee Fund.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. Existing law requires the commission to develop, implement, and administer a program to advance universal service by providing discounted rates to qualifying schools maintaining kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, community colleges, libraries, hospitals, health clinics, and community organizations.
This bill would require that the discounted rates also be provided to qualifying schools, school districts, and county offices of education serving preschools, transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, public libraries and public library systems, rather than libraries, and noninstructional facilities operated or contracted by qualifying schools, school districts, county
offices of education, community colleges, public libraries, and public library systems, including their associated data centers or administrative offices, as provided.
Existing law authorizes all customers eligible to receive discounts for telecommunications services under the federal Universal Service E-rate program to also apply for discounts on telecommunications services provided through the California Teleconnect Fund Administrative Committee Fund. Existing law requires the commission to first apply an E-rate discount if the customer, in the determination of the commission, meets the requirements for an E-rate discount, as provided.
This bill would instead require the service provider to first apply an E-rate discount if the customer, in the determination of the commission, meets the requirements for an E-rate discount, except as provided.
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 the provisions of this bill would be part of the act and a violation of a commission action implementing the bill’s 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.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF