Bill Sponsor
California Senate Bill 1191
Session 20252026
Communications: universal service programs.
Active
Active
Passed Senate on May 22, 2026
First Action
Feb 19, 2026
Latest Action
May 22, 2026
Origin Chamber
Senate
Type
Bill
Bill Number
1191
State
California
Session
20252026
Sponsorship by Party
Summary
Existing law authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to supervise and regulate every public utility in the state, including telephone corporations, and to fix just and reasonable rates and charges for public utilities. Existing law establishes the state's 6 universal service funds in the State Treasury, including the California High-Cost Fund-A Administrative Committee Fund (CHCF-A) and the California High-Cost Fund-B Administrative Committee Fund (CHCF-B) , and provides that moneys in each of the state's universal service funds are the proceeds of rates and are held in trust for the benefit of ratepayers and to compensate telephone corporations for their costs of providing universal service. Moneys in the funds may only be expended to accomplish specified telecommunications universal service programs, upon appropriation in the annual Budget Act or upon supplemental appropriation. Existing law, the CHCF-A program, until January 1, 2028, requires the commission to develop, implement, and maintain a suitable program to establish a fair and equitable local rate structure aided by universal service rate support to small independent telephone corporations that serve rural areas and are subject to rate-of-return regulation by the commission. Existing law, the CHCF-B program, until January 1, 2028, requires the commission to develop, implement, and maintain a suitable, competitively neutral, and broad-based program to establish a fair and equitable local rate support structure aided by universal service rate support to telephone corporations serving areas where the cost of providing services exceeds rates charged by providers, as determined by the commission. This bill would extend the CHCF-A program and CHCF-B program requirements to January 1, 2033. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because the CHCF-A program and CHCF-B program, which would extended under the provisions of this bill, are part of the act, and a violation of a commission action implementing the programs' requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Actions (13)
05/22/2026
Assembly
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
05/22/2026
Senate
Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 33. Noes 0.) Ordered to the Assembly.
05/20/2026
Senate
Ordered to special consent calendar.
05/14/2026
Senate
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
05/14/2026
Senate
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (May 14).
05/08/2026
Senate
Set for hearing May 14.
04/20/2026
Senate
April 20 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
04/10/2026
Senate
Set for hearing April 20.
04/07/2026
Senate
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 15. Noes 0. Page 3756.) (April 7). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
03/25/2026
Senate
Set for hearing April 7.
03/04/2026
Senate
Referred to Com. on E., U & C.
02/20/2026
Senate
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 22.
02/19/2026
Senate
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
Sources
Record Created
Feb 20, 2026 8:44:01 AM
Record Updated
May 23, 2026 9:07:41 AM