Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. Existing law requires the commission to develop, implement, and administer the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) program 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 authorizes the commission to impose a surcharge to collect $330,000,000 for deposit into the CASF beginning January 1, 2018, and continuing through the 2022 calendar year. Existing law establishes 4 accounts, the Broadband Infrastructure Grant Account, the Rural and Urban Regional Broadband Consortia Grant Account, the Broadband Public Housing Account, and the Broadband Adoption Account within the CASF and specifies the amount of surcharge revenues to be deposited into each account, subject to appropriation by the Legislature. Existing law provides that moneys in the Broadband Public Housing Account are available for grants and loans to publicly supported communities to finance projects to connect those communities to broadband networks. Existing law provides that moneys in the Broadband Public Housing Account that have not been awarded by December 31, 2020, are transferred back to the Broadband Infrastructure Grant Account.
This bill would, beginning January 1, 2022, transfer $25,000,000 to the Broadband Public Housing Account for providing grants to finance projects, as specified, to connect a broadband network that offers free broadband services to residents of publicly subsidized multiunit housing complexes and other low-income communities if the commission determines that sufficient funds are available for that purpose. The bill would establish that the goal of the Broadband Public Housing Account is to provide connectivity to all residents of publicly subsidized multiunit housing by 2025 or as soon as practicable thereafter. If the collection of the surcharge for the CASF program is extended beyond the 2022 calendar year, the bill would transfer annually $25,000,000 to the Broadband Public Housing Account, if the commission determines that sufficient funds are available for that purpose, until the goal of the fund is achieved or until the collection of the surcharge is terminated, whichever occurs earlier.

Statutes affected:
05/24/21 - Amended Assembly: 281 PUC
07/01/21 - Amended Senate: 281 PUC
07/15/21 - Amended Senate: 281 PUC