Public Utilities Commission: Earned Income Tax Credit.

(1) Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish a program of assistance to low-income electric and gas customers, which is referred to as the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) program. The Moore Universal Telephone Service Act establishes the Universal Lifeline Telephone Service (ULTS) program in order to provide low-income households with access to affordable basic residential telephone service. This bill, until January 1, 2015, would require the commission to ensure that all applications for the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) and the Universal Lifeline Telephone Service (ULTS) programs include specified information about the applicant's eligibility to qualify for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit. The bill would require that a telephone corporation's ULTS application include the information required by the commission. (2) Existing law establishes the Low-Income Oversight Board for the purpose of advising the commission on low-income electric, gas, and water customer issues and serving as a liaison for the commission to low-income ratepayers and representatives. This bill would require the board to make recommendations on whether the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) and Universal Lifeline Telephone Service (ULTS) programs could assist with outreach regarding the federal Earned Income Tax Credit in a manner that would not detract from the primary goals of these programs and would minimize negative ratepayer impacts. (3) Existing law makes any public utility, as defined, and any corporation other than a public utility, that violates the Public Utilities Act, or that fails to comply with any part of any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission, guilty of a crime. Because the provisions of this bill are within the act and require action by the commission to implement its requirements, a violation of these provisions would impose a state-mandated local program by expanding the definition of a crime. (4) 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.