Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. Existing law requires the commission to develop and implement performance reliability standards for backup power systems installed on the property of residential and small commercial customers by a facilities-based provider of telephony services upon determining that the benefits of the standards exceed the costs.
This bill would require the commission, in consultation with the Office of Emergency Services, by July 1, 2021, to develop and implement performance reliability standards, as specified, for all mobile telephony service base transceiver station towers, commonly known as "cell towers," and for all infrastructure for providing mobile telephony service, Voice over Internet Protocol service, Internet Protocol enabled service, and cable television service that is located within a commission-designated Tier 2 or Tier 3 High Fire Threat District, or that affects those towers or that infrastructure within such a district.
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 an order or decision of the commission implementing its requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program by creating a new crime.
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.

Statutes affected:
SB431: 2146 ELEC
02/21/19 - Introduced: 2146 ELEC
06/12/19 - Amended Assembly: 2146 ELEC