reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 5.6 - Financing Utility Recovery › Section 848.5.

848.5. Any successor to the recovery corporation, whether pursuant to any bankruptcy, reorganization, or other insolvency proceeding, or pursuant to any merger, sale, or transfer, by operation of law, or otherwise, shall perform and satisfy all obligations of the recovery corporation pursuant to this article in the same manner and to the same extent as the recovery corporation, including, but not limited to, collecting and paying to the holders of recovery bonds, or their representatives, or the applicable financing entity revenues arising with respect to the recovery property sold to the applicable financing entity or pledged to secure recovery bonds. Any successor to the recovery corporation is entitled to receive any fixed recovery tax amounts otherwise payable to the recovery corporation.
(Added by Stats. 2004, Ch. 46, Sec. 5. Effective June 7, 2004.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 5.6 - Financing Utility Recovery › Section 848.6.

848.6. The authority of the commission to issue financing orders pursuant to Section 848.1 shall expire on December 31, 2006. The expiration of the authority shall have no effect upon financing orders adopted by the commission pursuant to this article or any recovery property arising therefrom, or upon the charges authorized to be levied thereunder, or the rights, interests, and obligations of the recovery corporation or a financing entity or holders of recovery bonds pursuant to the financing order, or the authority of the commission to monitor, supervise, or take further action with respect to the order in accordance with the terms of this article and of the order.
(Added by Stats. 2004, Ch. 46, Sec. 5. Effective June 7, 2004.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 5.6 - Financing Utility Recovery › Section 848.7.

848.7. Notwithstanding subdivision (g) of Section 848.1, the commission shall credit ratepayers, in a manner to be determined by the commission, with the net after tax amount of any payments, offsets, or other credits the recovery corporation actually receives from generators of electricity or other energy suppliers that would have reduced the unamortized balance of the recovery corporation’s regulatory asset created under the commission’s Decision No. 03-12-035 but for the prior issuance of recovery bonds.
(Added by Stats. 2004, Ch. 46, Sec. 5. Effective June 7, 2004.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 5.6 - Financing Utility Recovery › Section 848.8.

848.8. Notwithstanding any other law, regulations adopted to implement this article are not subject to the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).
(Added by Stats. 2004, Ch. 46, Sec. 5. Effective June 7, 2004.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 5.7 - Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Securitization Act › Section 849.2.

849.2. (a) A qualifying water utility for which a financing order has been issued shall cause the proceeds of any water rate relief bonds issued pursuant to a financing order to be placed in a separate account. A qualifying water utility may use the proceeds of the issuance of water rate relief bonds for paying water supply costs and financing costs and for no other purpose.
(b) A financing order may require the qualifying utility to file with the commission a periodic report showing the receipt and disbursement of proceeds of water rate relief bonds. A financing order may authorize the staff of the commission to review and audit the books and records of the qualifying water utility relating to the receipt and disbursement of proceeds of water rate relief bonds. The provisions of this subdivision shall not be construed to limit the authority of the commission to investigate the practices of the qualifying utility or to audit the books and records of the qualifying water utility.
(c) A qualifying water utility for which a financing order has been issued shall annually provide to its customers a concise explanation of the water supply charges approved in a financing order, as modified by subsequent issuances of water rate relief bonds authorized under a financing order, if any, and by application of the true-up adjustment mechanism as provided in the financing order. These explanations shall be made after the annual true-up adjustment pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 849.1 and prior to, or simultaneous with, the effective date of the adjustment, and may be made by bill inserts, Internet Web site information, or other appropriate means. If water rate relief bonds are issued by a public financing entity, the public financing entity, or its trustee or representative, shall provide the information to the qualifying water utility as reasonably requested in order to comply with its obligations under this section.
(d) The failure of a qualifying water utility to apply the proceeds of water rate relief bonds in a reasonable, prudent, and appropriate manner or otherwise comply with any provision of this section shall not invalidate, impair, or affect any financing order, water supply property, water supply charges, or water rate relief bonds.
(Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 482, Sec. 6. (SB 936) Effective January 1, 2015.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 5.7 - Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Securitization Act › Section 849.6.

849.6. A successor to the qualified water utility, whether pursuant to bankruptcy, reorganization, or other insolvency proceeding, or pursuant to merger, sale, or transfer, by operation of law, or otherwise, shall perform and satisfy all obligations of the qualifying water utility pursuant to this article in the same manner and to the same extent as the qualified water utility, including, but not limited to, collecting and paying to the holders of water rate relief bonds or any financing entities or their pledgees revenues arising with respect to the water supply property sold to the applicable financing entity or pledged to secure water rate relief bonds.
(Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 482, Sec. 6. (SB 936) Effective January 1, 2015.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 5.8 - Catastrophic Wildfire and Ratepayer Protection Financing › Section 850.5.

850.5. Any successor to the electrical corporation, whether pursuant to any bankruptcy, reorganization, or other insolvency proceeding, or pursuant to any merger, sale, or transfer, by operation of law, or otherwise, shall perform and satisfy all obligations of the electrical corporation pursuant to this article in the same manner and to the same extent as the electrical corporation, including, but not limited to, collecting and paying to the holders of recovery bonds, or their representatives, or the applicable financing entity revenues arising with respect to the recovery property sold to the applicable financing entity or pledged to secure recovery bonds. Any successor to the electrical corporation is entitled to receive any fixed recovery tax amounts otherwise payable to the electrical corporation.
(Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 626, Sec. 32. (SB 901) Effective January 1, 2019.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 5.8 - Catastrophic Wildfire and Ratepayer Protection Financing › Section 850.6.

850.6. The authority of the commission to issue financing orders pursuant to Section 850.1 shall expire on December 31, 2035. The expiration of the authority shall have no effect upon financing orders adopted by the commission pursuant to this article or any recovery property arising therefrom, or upon the charges authorized to be levied thereunder, or the rights, interests, and obligations of the electrical corporation or a financing entity or holders of recovery bonds pursuant to the financing order, or the authority of the commission to monitor, supervise, or take further action with respect to the order in accordance with the terms of this article and of the order.
(Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 626, Sec. 32. (SB 901) Effective January 1, 2019.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 5.8 - Catastrophic Wildfire and Ratepayer Protection Financing › Section 850.7.

850.7. (a) Notwithstanding subdivision (e) of Section 850.1, if, subsequent to the issuance of a financing order, an electrical corporation receives additional insurance proceeds, tax benefits, or other amounts that reimburse the electrical corporation for costs associated with catastrophic wildfire amounts included in the recovery costs addressed in that financing order, the electrical corporation shall credit customers, in a manner to be determined by the commission, with the net after tax amounts of those reimbursements, but the commission may not adjust, amend, or modify the catastrophic wildfire amounts, fixed recovery charges, the fixed recovery tax amounts, the financing order, recovery costs, the recovery property, or the recovery bonds.
(b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit setoff, counterclaim, surcharge, recoupment, or defense by the electrical corporation or any other person, or in connection with the bankruptcy, reorganization, or other insolvency proceeding of the electrical corporation, any affiliate of the electrical corporation, or any other entity, against the recovery property, the fixed recovery charges, or the interests of an assignee, bondholder, or financing entity, or any pledgee in recovery property or fixed recovery charges.
(Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 626, Sec. 32. (SB 901) Effective January 1, 2019.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 5.8 - Catastrophic Wildfire and Ratepayer Protection Financing › Section 850.8.

850.8. This article shall not affect any civil action or proceeding.
(Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 626, Sec. 32. (SB 901) Effective January 1, 2019.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 6 - Transfer or Encumbrance of Utility Property › Section 852.

852. No public utility, and no subsidiary or affiliate of, or corporation holding a controlling interest in, a public utility, shall purchase or acquire, take or hold, any part of the capital stock of any other public utility, organized or existing under or by virtue of the laws of this state, without having been first authorized to do so by the commission; provided, however, that the commission may establish by order or rule categories of stock acquisitions which it determines will not be harmful to the public interest, and purchases within those categories are exempt from this section. Every assignment, transfer, contract, or agreement for assignment or transfer of any stock by or through any person or corporation to any corporation or otherwise in violation of any of the provisions of this article is void and of no effect, and no such transfer shall be made on the books of any public utility. Nothing in this section prevents the holding of stock previously lawfully acquired.
(Amended by Stats. 1989, Ch. 390, Sec. 1.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 6 - Transfer or Encumbrance of Utility Property › Section 853.

853. (a) This article does not apply to any person or corporation which transacts no business subject to regulation under this part, except performing services or delivering commodities for or to public utilities or municipal corporations or other public agencies primarily for resale or use in serving the public or any portion thereof, but shall apply to any public utility, and any subsidiary or affiliate of, or corporation holding a controlling interest in, a public utility, if the commission finds, in a proceeding to which the public utility is or may become a party, that the application of this article is required by the public interest.
(b) The commission may from time to time by order or rule, and subject to those terms and conditions as may be prescribed therein, exempt any public utility or class of public utility from this article if it finds that the application thereof with respect to the public utility or class of public utility is not necessary in the public interest. The commission may establish rules or impose requirements deemed necessary to protect the interest of the customers or subscribers of the public utility or class of public utility exempted under this subdivision. These rules or requirements may include, but are not limited to, notification of a proposed sale or transfer of assets or stock and provision for refunds or credits to customers or subscribers.
(c) The provisions of Sections 851 and 854 that prohibit any assignment, acquisition, or change of control without advance authorization from the commission, do not apply to the transfer of the ownership interest in a water utility, with 10,000 or fewer service connections, from a decedent to a member of the decedent’s family in the manner provided in Section 240 of the Probate Code or by a will, trust, or other instrument.
(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that transactions with monetary values that materially impact a public utility’s rate base should not qualify for expedited advice letter treatment pursuant to this article. It is the further intent of the Legislature that the commission maintain all of its oversight and review responsibilities subject to the California Environmental Quality Act, and that public utility transactions that jurisdictionally require a review by the commission, as the lead agency, under the act should not qualify for expedited advice letter treatment pursuant to this article. An advice letter may be filed for transactions by the public utility if the lead agency has completed the appropriate review under the California Environmental Quality Act for the transaction, and the commission is the responsible agency under the act. The advice letter shall be subject to approval by resolution voted upon by the commission.
(Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 370, Sec. 2. (AB 698) Effective January 1, 2010.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 6 - Transfer or Encumbrance of Utility Property › Section 853.2.

853.2. For a water or sewer system corporation or an entity merging with or acquiring control of a water or sewer system corporation with less than 2,000 service connections, the following shall apply to transactions valued at five million dollars ($5,000,000) or less, notwithstanding Sections 851 and 854:
(a) (1) A water or sewer system corporation or an entity merging with or acquiring control of a water or sewer system corporation shall receive the commission’s approval before entering into a transaction that would otherwise be subject to Section 851 or 854.
(2) If a water or sewer system corporation or an entity merging with or acquiring control of a water or sewer system corporation fails to receive the commission’s approval pursuant to paragraph (1), the transaction is voidable by the commission until the commission does either of the following:
(A) Retroactively approves the transaction upon a determination that the transaction is in the best interests of both the corporation and its ratepayers.
(B) Conditionally approves the transaction, subject to the fulfillment of specified conditions that would ensure that the transaction is in the best interests of both the corporation and its ratepayers.
(b) The commission may delegate the authority to make the determinations described in subdivision (a) to the director of the division that investigates water and sewer system service quality issues and analyzes and processes utility rate change requests.
(Added by Stats. 2016, Ch. 631, Sec. 1. (SB 1112) Effective September 25, 2016.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 6 - Transfer or Encumbrance of Utility Property › Section 854.5.

854.5. (a) For purposes of this section, a “nonstate entity” means a company, corporation, partnership, firm, or other entity or group of entities, whether organized for profit or not for profit.
(b) The commission, by order, decision, motion, settlement, or other action, shall not establish a nonstate entity with any moneys other than those moneys that would otherwise belong to the public utility’s shareholders. A nonstate entity to be created with moneys from a public utility’s shareholders shall be subject to a 30-day review by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee prior to creation. This subdivision does not limit the authority of the commission to form an advisory committee or other body whose budget is subject to oversight by the commission and the Department of Finance.
(c) The commission shall not enter into a contract with a nonstate entity in which a person serves as an owner, director, or officer while serving as a commissioner. Any contract between the commission and a nonstate entity shall be void and cease to exist by operation of law, if a commissioner, who was a commissioner at the time the contract was awarded, entered into, or extended, becomes, on or after January 1, 2014, an owner, director, or officer of the nonstate entity while serving as a commissioner.
(d) Beginning June 1, 2014, a commissioner who acts as an owner, director, or officer of a nonstate entity that was established as a result of an order, decision, motion, settlement, or other action by the commission in which the commissioner participated, neglects his or her duty pursuant to Section 1 of Article XII of the California Constitution, and as a result the commissioner may be removed pursuant to that section by the Legislature, two-thirds of the membership of each house concurring.
(Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 546, Sec. 1. (SB 434) Effective January 1, 2015.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 6 - Transfer or Encumbrance of Utility Property › Section 856.

856. Every officer, agent, or employee of a public utility, or of a subsidiary or affiliate of, or a corporation holding a controlling interest in, a public utility, and every other person subject to the requirements of this article, who violates or fails to comply with, or procures, aids, or abets any violation of, this article is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(Added by Stats. 1989, Ch. 390, Sec. 3.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 6 - Transfer or Encumbrance of Utility Property › Section 857.

857. (a) A public utility that owns real property acquired for purposes of obtaining a utility right-of-way, may lease that property to a governmental entity for purposes of a public park, if the utility retains the use of the right-of-way for public utility purposes.
(b) In determining whether a lease of real property to a governmental entity for park purposes is for fair value, the commission shall include the community benefits of parks and open space as a benefit to ratepayers.
(c) As used in this section, “community benefits” include, but are not limited to, improving public health, protecting the environment, and increasing recreational assets.
(Added by Stats. 2009, Ch. 448, Sec. 1. (AB 521) Effective January 1, 2010.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 7 - Controversies Concerning Relocation of Utility Improvements › Section 861.

861. (a) As used in this section, “special law water district” means the Santa Clara Valley Water District and the Yuba-Bear River Basin Authority and, if created by an uncodified special law, any of the following: a county flood control district, a county flood control and water district, a county flood control and water conservation district, a county water conservation and flood control district, or a county water agency.
(b) Whenever by court order or judgment in an eminent domain proceeding or by agreement a special law water district is required to relocate any improvements of a public utility, if the special law water district and the public utility fail to agree as to the character or location of the new improvements to be relocated by the special law water district, the character and location of such new improvements and any other controversy relating thereto shall be submitted to and determined by the Public Utilities Commission in the manner prescribed in Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 1201).
(Added by Stats. 1975, Ch. 1240.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 8 - Universal Telephone Service › Section 871.

871. This article shall be known and may be cited as the Moore Universal Telephone Service Act.
(Added by Stats. 1987, Ch. 163, Sec. 2. Effective July 16, 1987.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 8 - Universal Telephone Service › Section 871.5.

871.5. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) The offering of high-quality basic telephone service at affordable rates to the greatest number of citizens has been a longstanding goal of the state.
(b) The Moore Universal Telephone Service Act has been, and continues to be, an important means for achieving universal service by making basic telephone service affordable to low-income households through the creation of a lifeline class of service.
(c) Every means should be employed by the commission and telephone corporations to ensure that every household qualified to receive lifeline telephone service is informed of and is afforded the opportunity to subscribe to that service.
(d) The furnishing of lifeline telephone service is in the public interest and should be supported fairly and equitably by every telephone corporation, and the commission, in administering the lifeline telephone service program, should implement the program in a way that is equitable, nondiscriminatory, and without competitive consequences for the telecommunications industry in California.
(Amended by Stats. 2010, Ch. 381, Sec. 2. (AB 2213) Effective January 1, 2011.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 8 - Universal Telephone Service › Section 871.7.

871.7. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) The Moore Universal Telephone Service Act, enacted in 1987, was intended to offer high quality basic telephone service at affordable rates to the greatest number of California residents, and has become an important means of achieving universal service by making residential service affordable to low-income citizens through the creation of a lifeline class of service.
(b) Factors such as competition and technological innovation are resulting in the convergence of a variety of telecommunications technologies offering an expanded range of telecommunications services to users that incorporate voice, video, and data. These technologies have differing regulatory regimes and jurisdictions.
(c) It is the intent of the Legislature that the commission initiate a proceeding investigating the feasibility of redefining universal telephone service by incorporating two-way voice, video, and data service as components of basic service. It is the Legislature’s further intent that, to the extent that the incorporation is feasible, that it promote equity of access to high-speed communications networks, the Internet, and other services to the extent that those services provide social benefits that include all of the following:
(1) Improving the quality of life among the residents of California.
(2) Expanding access to public and private resources for education, training, and commerce.
(3) Increasing access to public resources enhancing public health and safety.
(4) Assisting in bridging the “digital divide” through expanded access to new technologies by low-income, disabled, or otherwise disadvantaged Californians.
(5) Shifting traffic patterns by enabling telecommuting, thereby helping to improve air quality in all areas of the state and mitigating the need for highway expansion.
(d) For purposes of this section, the term “feasibility” means consistency with all of the following:
(1) Technological and competitive neutrality.
(2) Equitable distribution of the funding burden for redefined universal service as described in subdivision (c), among all affected consumers and industries, thereby ensuring that regulated utilities’ ratepayers do not bear a disproportionate share of funding responsibility.
(3) Benefits that justify the costs.
(Added by Stats. 2000, Ch. 943, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2001.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 8 - Universal Telephone Service › Section 873.

873. (a) The commission shall annually do all of the following:
(1) Designate a class of lifeline service necessary to meet minimum communications needs.
(2) Set the rates and charges for that service.
(3) Develop eligibility criteria for that service.
(4) Assess the degree of achievement of universal service, including telephone penetration rates by income, ethnicity, and geography.
(b) Minimum communications needs include, but are not limited to, the ability to originate and receive calls and the ability to access electronic information services.
(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 86, Sec. 265. (SB 1171) Effective January 1, 2017.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 8 - Universal Telephone Service › Section 874.

874. The lifeline telephone service rates and charges shall be as follows:
(a) In a residential subscriber’s service area where measured service is not available, the lifeline telephone service rates shall not be more than 50 percent of the rates for basic flat rate service, exclusive of federally mandated end user access charges, available to the residential subscriber.
(b) In a residential subscriber’s service area where measured service is available, the subscriber may elect either of the following:
(1) A lifeline telephone service measured rate of not more than 50 percent of the basic rate for measured service, exclusive of federally mandated end user access charges, available to the residential subscriber.
(2) A lifeline flat rate of not more than 50 percent of the rates for basic flat rate service, exclusive of federally mandated end user access charges, available to the residential subscriber.
(c) The lifeline telephone service installation or connection charge, or both, shall not be more than 50 percent of the charge for basic residential service installation or connection, or both. The commission may limit the number of installation and connection charges, or both, that may be incurred at the reduced rate in any given period.
(d) There shall be no charge to the residential customer who has filed a valid eligibility statement for changing out of lifeline service.
(e) The commission shall assess whether there is a problem with customers who fraudulently obtain lifeline telephone service. If the commission determines that there is a problem, it shall recommend and promulgate appropriate solutions. This assessment and the solutions determined by the commission shall not, in and of themselves, change the procedures developed pursuant to Section 876.
(Amended by Stats. 1999, Ch. 1005, Sec. 53. Effective January 1, 2000.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 8 - Universal Telephone Service › Section 875.

875. (a) In addition to Section 874, every lifeline telephone service subscriber shall be given an allowance, reduced by the amount of any credit or allowance authorized by the Federal Communications Commission, equal to the then current or announced federally mandated residential end user access charges.
(b) The commission may, in a separate proceeding, establish procedures necessary to ensure that the lifeline telephone service program qualifies for any federal funds available for the support of those programs.
(Amended by Stats. 1992, Ch. 354, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 1993.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 8 - Universal Telephone Service › Section 876.

876. The commission shall require every telephone corporation providing telephone service within a service area to file a schedule of rates and charges providing a class of lifeline telephone service. Every telephone corporation providing service within a service area shall inform all eligible subscribers of the availability of lifeline telephone service, and how they may qualify for and obtain service, and shall accept applications for lifeline telephone service according to procedures specified by the commission.
(Amended by Stats. 1992, Ch. 354, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 1993.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 8 - Universal Telephone Service › Section 877.

877. Nothing in this article precludes the commission from changing any rate established pursuant to Section 873, either specifically or pursuant to any general restructuring of all telephone rates, charges, and classifications.
(Added by Stats. 1987, Ch. 163, Sec. 2. Effective July 16, 1987.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 8 - Universal Telephone Service › Section 878.

878. (a) A lifeline telephone service subscriber shall be provided with one lifeline subscription, as defined by the commission, at the subscriber’s principal place of residence, and no other member of that subscriber’s family or household who maintains residence at that place is eligible for lifeline telephone service.
(b) An applicant for lifeline telephone service may report only one address in this state as the principal place of residence.
(c) Multiple lifeline telephone service subscribers may maintain the same address if they are not members of the same household.
(d) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) “Adult” means any person 18 years of age or older.
(2) “Economic unit” means all adult individuals contributing to and sharing in the income and expenses of a household.
(3) “Household” means any group of individuals, including the subscriber, who are living together at the same address and as one economic unit. A household may include related and unrelated persons. If an adult has no, or minimal, income and lives with someone who provides financial support to that adult, both persons shall be part of the same household. A child under 18 years of age and living with a parent or guardian shall be part of the same household as the parent or guardian.
(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 765, Sec. 2. (SB 394) Effective January 1, 2022.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 8 - Universal Telephone Service › Section 878.5.

878.5. The commission shall adopt a portability freeze rule for the lifeline program by January 15, 2017. The commission shall consider including all of the following in the rule:
(a) A 60-day duration of the portability freeze.
(b) A period of time when a subscriber would be able to terminate lifeline service without penalty, similar to that established in Section 4.13.5 of commission Decision 14-01-036 (January 16, 2014), Decision Adopting Revisions to Modernize and Expand the California Lifeline Program.
(c) A requirement that the administrator of the lifeline program provide a telephone corporation providing lifeline service with real-time information concerning whether a subscriber has enrolled with another telephone corporation during the period of the portability freeze adopted by the commission pursuant to this section and, if the subscriber enrolled during this period, the date of enrollment.
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 497, Sec. 244. (AB 991) Effective January 1, 2020.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 8 - Universal Telephone Service › Section 878.6.

878.6. (a) (1) Before March 1, 2022, the commission shall, as part of an existing proceeding, adopt updated rules for the lifeline program establishing a modified recertification process that minimizes barriers to lifeline subscriber recertification and reduces the burden and cost of recertification on the lifeline program.
(2) The updated rules adopted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall do all of the following:
(A) Enable a lifeline subscriber to enroll in the lifeline program directly online using an electronic signature.
(B) Enable a lifeline subscriber to complete the annual recertification of lifeline eligibility process directly online using an electronic signature, or by telephone using a telephonic signature. The lifeline program’s third-party administrator shall verify the lifeline subscriber’s identity using the personally identifiable information that the administrator has on file. The commission shall not require a lifeline subscriber to use a commission-issued personal identification number (PIN) for identity verification.
(C) Provide an option for lifeline subscribers to receive communications regarding their lifeline subscription in an electronic format, including, but not limited to, email and short message service.
(b) Before January 1, 2023, the commission shall, as part of an existing proceeding and in consultation with lifeline service providers, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Universal Service Administrative Company, adopt updated rules for the lifeline program with the goal of achieving recertification rates at least equivalent to those rates achieved by the Universal Services Administrative Company as the administrator for the federal lifeline program.
(c) The commission shall annually publicly report on its internet website the participation and recertification rates of eligible lifeline subscribers.
(Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 410, Sec. 1. (AB 74) Effective January 1, 2022.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 8 - Universal Telephone Service › Section 879.

879. (a) The commission shall, at least annually, initiate a proceeding to set rates for lifeline telephone service. All telephone corporations providing lifeline telephone service shall annually file, on a date set by the commission, proposed lifeline telephone service rates and a statement of projected revenue needs to meet the funding requirements to provide lifeline telephone service to qualified subscribers, together with proposed funding methods to provide the necessary funding. These funding methods shall include identification of those services whose rates shall be adjusted to provide the necessary funding.
(b) The commission shall commence a proceeding within 30 days after the date set for the filings required in subdivision (a), giving interested parties an opportunity to comment on the proposed rates and funding requirements and the proposed funding methods. The commission may change the rates, funding requirements, and funding methods proposed by the telephone corporations in any manner necessary, including reasonably spreading the funding among the services offered by the telephone corporations, to meet the public interest. Within 60 days of the annual filing, the commission shall issue an order setting lifeline telephone service rates and funding methods for each telephone corporation making a filing as required in subdivision (a). The commission may establish a lifeline service pool composed of the rate adjustments and surcharges imposed by the commission pursuant to this section for the purpose of funding lifeline telephone service.
(c) Any order issued by the commission pursuant to this section shall require telephone corporations providing lifeline telephone service to apply the funding requirement in the form of a surcharge to service rates which may be separately identified on the bills of customers using those services. The commission shall not allow any surcharge under this section on the rates charged by those telephone corporations for lifeline telephone service.
(d) The commission shall permit telephone corporations operating between service areas to adjust the rates of any service which may be affected by any surcharge imposed by this section.
(Amended by Stats. 1992, Ch. 354, Sec. 8. Effective January 1, 1993.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 8 - Universal Telephone Service › Section 879.5.

879.5. Notwithstanding Section 879, the commission shall issue its initial order adopting required rates and funding requirements not later than October 31, 1987, and prior to the issuance of that order, may fund lifeline telephone service through the use of an interim surcharge on service rates for telephone service provided by telephone corporations operating between service areas. The interim surcharge shall not exceed 4 percent of the service rates.
(Amended by Stats. 1992, Ch. 354, Sec. 9. Effective January 1, 1993.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 8 - Universal Telephone Service › Section 880.

880. The commission may determine any question of fact in its administration of this article.
(Added by Stats. 1987, Ch. 163, Sec. 2. Effective July 16, 1987.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 8 - Universal Telephone Service › Section 882.

882. (a) The Public Utilities Commission shall, as soon as practicable, open a proceeding or proceedings to, or as part of existing proceedings shall, consider ways to ensure that advanced telecommunications services are made available as ubiquitously and economically as possible, in a timely fashion, to California’s citizens, institutions, and businesses. The proceeding or proceedings should be completed within one year of commencement.
(b) The proceeding or proceedings shall develop rules, procedures, orders, or strategies, or all of these, that seek to achieve the following goals:
(1) To provide all citizens and businesses with access to the widest possible array of advanced communications services.
(2) To provide the state’s educational and health care institutions with access to advanced communications services.
(3) To ensure cost-effective deployment of technology so as to protect ratepayers’ interests and the affordability of telecommunications services.
(c) In the proceeding or proceedings, the commission should also consider, but need not limit its consideration to, all of the following:
(1) Whether the definition of universal service should be broadened.
(2) How to encourage the timely and economic development of an advanced public communications infrastructure, which may include a variety of competitive providers.
(Amended by Stats. 1999, Ch. 1005, Sec. 54. Effective January 1, 2000.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 8 - Universal Telephone Service › Section 884.

884. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that any program administered by the commission that addresses the inequality of access to high-speed broadband services by providing those services to schools and libraries at a discounted price, provide comparable discounts to a nonprofit community technology program.
(b) Notwithstanding any other law or existing program of the commission, but consistent with the purposes for which those funds were appropriated from the California Teleconnect Fund Administrative Committee Fund in Item 8660-001-0493 of Section 2.00 of the Budget Act of 2003 (Chapter 157 of the Statutes of 2003), and reappropriated in Item 8660-491 of Section 2.00 of the Budget Act of 2006 (Chapter 47 of the Statutes of 2006), the commission may expend up to two million dollars ($2,000,000) of the unencumbered amount of those funds for the nonrecurring installation costs for high-speed broadband services for community organizations that are eligible for discounted rates pursuant to Section 280.
(c) For the purpose of this section:
(1) “High-speed broadband services” means a system for the digital transmission of information over the Internet at a speed of at least 384 kilobits per second.
(2) “Nonprofit community technology program” means a community-based nonprofit organization that is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and engages in diffusing technology into local communities and training local communities that have no access to, or have limited access to, the Internet and advanced telecommunications technologies.
(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 870, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2007.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 8 - Universal Telephone Service › Section 884.2.

884.2. The commission may require each internet service provider, as defined in Section 3100 of the Civil Code, to report the following information regarding each free, low-cost, income-qualified, or affordable internet service plan advertised by the provider:
(a) The cost of the plan, including any fees and taxes.
(b) The eligibility requirements for the plan.
(c) The data limitations of the plan.
(d) The number of California residents enrolled in the plan.
(e) A description of the outreach efforts undertaken by the provider to eligible populations to increase awareness about the plan.
(Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 658, Sec. 4. (AB 14) Effective October 8, 2021.)
2023 California Code › Public Utilities Code - PUC › DIVISION 1 - REGULATION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES › PART 1 - PUBLIC UTILITIES ACT › CHAPTER 4 - Regulation of Public Utilities › ARTICLE 8 - Universal Telephone Service › Section 884.5.

884.5. (a) This section shall apply to all customers eligible to receive discounts for telecommunications services under the federal Universal Service E-rate program administered by the Schools and Libraries Division of the Universal Service Administrative Company that also apply for discounts on telecommunications services provided through the California Teleconnect Fund Administrative Committee Fund program pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 280.
(b) A teleconnect discount shall be applied after applying an E-rate discount. The commission shall first apply an E-rate discount, regardless of whether the customer has applied for an E-rate discount or has been approved, if the customer, in the determination of the commission, meets the eligibility requirements for an E-rate discount.
(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), the teleconnect discount shall be applied without regard to an E-rate discount for a school district that meets the conditions specified for compensation pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 42280) of Chapter 7 of Part 24 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Education Code, unless that school district has applied for, and been approved to receive, the E-rate discount.
(d) In establishing a discount under the California Teleconnect Fund Administrative Committee Fund program, the commission shall give priority to bridging the “digital divide” by encouraging expanded access to state-of-the-art technologies for rural, inner-city, low-income, and disabled Californians.
(e) As used in this section:
(1) “E-rate discount” means an actual discount under the E-rate program, or a representative discount figure as determined by the commission.
(2) “E-rate program” means the federal Universal Service E-rate program administered by the Schools and Libraries Division of the Universal Service Administrative Company.
(3) “Teleconnect discount” means a discount on telecommunications services provided through the California Teleconnect Fund Administrative Committee Fund program set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 280.
(Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 179, Sec. 195. Effective January 1, 2009.)