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SB-1624 Telephone corporations: rates.(2007-2008)

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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2007–2008 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 1624

Introduced  by  Senator Kehoe

February 22, 2008

An act to amend Section 728.7 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to telecommunications.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 1624, as introduced, Kehoe. Telephone corporations: rates.
Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations, as defined. Existing law authorizes the commission to fix the rates and charges for every public utility. Existing law requires the commission, prior to authorizing any change in the amount of payment required of a telephone corporation providing service between service areas to a telephone corporation providing service within a service area for the use of its telephone lines, and prior to assigning any charge, surcharge, or rate increase to subscribers within the service area that is a result of a decrease in the amount of payment, to require that certain notice and information be provided to subscribers.
This bill would make a technical and nonsubstantive change to the above-described requirements.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NO   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 728.7 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read:

728.7.
 (a) Prior to authorizing any change in the amount of the payment required of a telephone corporation which that provides service between service areas to a telephone corporation which that provides service within a service area for the use of its telephone lines, and prior to assigning to subscribers of a telephone corporation operating within a service area any charge, surcharge, or rate increase that is a result of a decrease in the amount of that payment, the commission shall do all of the following:
(1) Require the telephone corporation requesting authorization to increase subscriber rates or to impose a charge or surcharge on subscribers as a result of a change in the payments, to notify its subscribers, whenever the commission commences a proceeding on its own motion or in response to a petition to authorize a change in the amount of those payments or to impose that charge, surcharge, or rate increase as a result of a change in the amount of those payments.
(2) Require the telephone corporation to provide its subscribers with an exact description of, and explanation for, the change in the amount of the payment or the imposition of a charge, surcharge, or rate increase, within 90 days of the authorized change in the amount of payment or charge, surcharge, or rate increase. The description and explanation shall include a reasonably accurate quantitative assessment of the results of, and the reasons for, the change in the amount of payment or imposition of a charge, surcharge, or rate increase for each class of subscriber.
(b) The commission shall provide the Legislature with the information required of a telephone corporation pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), for any change in payments, or imposition of a charge, surcharge, or rate increase as a result of a change in payment, made prior to January 1, 1987, within 60 days after that date.