California Advanced Services Fund: Broadband Public Housing Account.

Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish the Broadband Public Housing Account in the California Advanced Services Fund and makes the moneys in the account available to the commission to award grants and loans to low-income communities to finance projects to connect broadband networks that offer free broadband service that meets or exceeds state standards for residents of low-income communities. This bill would make moneys in the account available instead for grants and loans to finance projects to connect broadband networks that offer broadband service for residents of low-income communities and would revise the requirement that the broadband service be free to require certain grantees to provide residential subscribers within low-income communities with free or low-cost broadband internet access service plans, as provided. The bill would authorize the commission to award grants to support the deployment of network devices to address barriers to consistent deployment of broadband services in low-income communities. The bill would specify that the requirement to provide free or low-cost broadband internet access service plans does not apply to grantees that are awarded grants for the sole purpose of deploying network devices to improve broadband services. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because the requirement related to the provision of a free or low-cost broadband internet access service plan would be a part of the act and a violation of a commission action implementing that requirement would be a crime, this 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.