Today's Law As Amended


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SB-487 Telephone services: high cost areas: transfer payments.(2001-2002)



As Amends the Law Today


SECTION 1.
 (a) There is hereby appropriated from the California High-Cost Fund-A Administrative Committee Fund to the Public Utilities Commission, three million one hundred thousand dollars ($3,100,000) for the purpose of transferring funds to telephone corporations providing services in high cost areas and authorized to receive these funds pursuant to Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 270) of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code.
(b) No fee or assessment may be increased by the Public Utilities Commission as a result of the transfer made pursuant to subdivision (a).
SEC. 2.
 This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
The authority to appropriate money from the California High-Cost Fund-A Administrative Committee Fund in the Budget Act for fiscal year 2001-2002 was underestimated due to an accounting misunderstanding. Money for the payments due to be transferred to telephone corporations was collected and deposited into these funds, but authorization to transfer the moneys fell short of the amount due to be paid out by the end of the fiscal year. The California High-Cost Fund-A Administrative Committee Fund, among other things, provides funding for basic telephone services to state residents who would not otherwise receive these necessary services. In order to provide sufficient revenues for the telephone corporations authorized to receive these funds pursuant to Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 270) of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Public Utilities Code to continue providing services in high cost areas, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.