California Advanced Services Fund: Broadband Public Housing Account.

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 the California Advanced Services Fund to encourage deployment of high-quality advanced communications services to all Californians that will promote economic growth, job creation, and the substantial social benefits of advanced information and communications technologies. Existing law provides for the establishment of the Broadband Public Housing Account in the fund, and makes the moneys in the account available to the commission for grants and loans to low-income communities, which includes publicly supported housing developments and other housing developments or mobilehome parks with low-income residents, to finance projects to connect their residents to broadband networks that offer free broadband service that meets or exceeds state standards. Existing law requires the commission to annually report to the Legislature specified information relating to the fund. This bill would expressly provide that, for purposes of the account, "low-income communities" also includes farmworker housing. The bill would establish that the goal of the account is to provide internet connectivity to all residents of publicly supported housing developments on or before December 31, 2025, and would require the commission to prioritize grants and loans from the account that benefit publicly supported housing developments. The bill would require the commission, as part of its above-described annual report to the Legislature, to include an update on the progress made towards the goal of providing internet connectivity to all residents of publicly supported housing developments. 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 above-described provisions would be part of the act and a violation of a commission action implementing this 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.