BILL NUMBER: AB 876INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Bonta FEBRUARY 22, 2013 An act to add Section 280.1 to the Public Utilities Code, relating to telecommunications. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 876, as introduced, Bonta. Telecommunications: California Teleconnect Fund Administrative Committee Fund. Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission to develop and implement a program funded by the California Teleconnect Fund Administrative Committee Fund to advance universal service by providing discount rates to qualifying schools, community colleges, libraries, hospitals, health clinics, and community organizations. This bill would require the commission to revise the program described above to give priority for advanced high-quality communication services over legacy communication services. The bill would require the commission to open a new proceeding or amend an existing proceeding to determine whether the rates charged to qualifying schools receiving financial support from the program are comparable to the rates charged to for-profit entities for comparable communication services. The bill would require the commission to establish, maintain, and make available to the public a database of communication services purchased by qualifying entities receiving financial support from the program. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 280.1 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to read: 280.1. (a) The commission shall open a new proceeding or amend an existing proceeding to determine whether the rates charged to qualifying schools receiving financial support from the program developed pursuant to Section 280 are comparable to rates charged to for-profit entities for comparable communication services. (b) The commission shall establish and maintain a database of communication services purchased by qualifying entities receiving financial support from the program developed pursuant to Section 280 to allow qualifying entities to collaborate and allow for the use of common infrastructure to reduce costs, and make the database available to the public on the commission's Internet Web site. (c) The commission shall revise the program developed pursuant to Section 280 to give priority to using moneys in the California Teleconnect Fund Administrative Committee Fund for advanced high-quality communications services over legacy communication services.