Telecommunications: universal service.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. 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 each lifeline telephone service subscriber to be provided with one lifeline subscription, as defined by the commission, at his or her principal place of residence, and bars from lifeline service eligibility any other member of that lifeline subscriber's family or household, as defined, who maintains residence at that principal place of residence. This bill would instead bar from lifeline service eligibility any member of a group of individuals who are living together with a lifeline subscriber at the same address and as one economic unit, as defined, and would assert that multiple lifeline subscribers may maintain the same principal place of residence. The bill would require the commission to ensure all eligible individuals are provided with information about the lifeline program and given equal opportunities to subscribe to the lifeline service, and would require the commission, as part of that outreach, to maximize the participation of all groups, including students, veterans, and the formerly incarcerated. The bill would require the commission to develop outreach and enrollment programs for the formerly incarcerated and for veterans. The bill would require the commission to consider accepting alternative forms of identification to increase participation in the lifeline program for certain purposes. 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 a part of the act and because a violation of an order, decision, or rule 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.