Communications: lifeline universal service.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over telephone corporations. Existing law establishes the lifeline telephone service program to provide low-income households with access to affordable basic residential telephone service. Under existing law, the commission established a 2-year pilot program within the lifeline telephone service program that provides a smartphone and monthly prepaid mobile telephony service to certain current and former foster youth 13 to 26 years of age, inclusive, as specified. This bill would require the commission to continue this foster youth program as an element of the lifeline telephone service program to provide eligible foster youth with a smartphone and monthly prepaid mobile telephony service, including unlimited voice, text, and data service, except the bill would authorize the commission to establish a sunset date for the foster youth program upon specified conditions being satisfied. The bill would make eligible for the foster youth program current and former foster youth, 13 to 26 years of age, inclusive, residing in California. The bill would authorize the commission to adjust the support amounts, including for inflation, for increased data or hotspots needed for distance learning and for other academic or employment needs and to expand the program to foster youth younger than 13 years of age if it determines expansion is merited and within program funding levels. The bill would authorize the commission to select one or more third-party administrators to administer the foster youth program and to determine those mobile telephony service providers that will provide service for the program. 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 a commission action 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.