AB 1303: Communications: lifeline telephone service program.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. The Moore Universal Telephone Service Act establishes the Universal Lifeline Telephone Service program in order to provide low-income households with access to affordable basic residential telephone service. Existing law requires the commission to accept applications for lifeline telephone service according to procedures specified by the commission.

This bill would prohibit the commission, its staff, the lifeline program’s third-party administrator, and lifeline service providers, and their contractors, agents, successors, or assignees, from sharing, disclosing, or otherwise making accessible any information provided by an applicant or subscriber to the lifeline program, or a subprogram or pilot program of the lifeline program, to any agency of a local government, a state government, or the federal government, or to an immigration authority, as defined, without a court-ordered subpoena or valid judicial warrant, except as specified. The bill would authorize the commission, its staff, the lifeline program’s third-party administrator, and lifeline service providers, and the providers’ agents, successors, or assignees, to request, but would prohibit those entities from requiring, applicants and subscribers to provide social security numbers to apply to, or participate in, the lifeline program.

Existing law prohibits a telephone or telegraph corporation from making certain categories of personal information available to any other person or corporation without first obtaining the residential subscriber’s consent in writing. Existing law exempts information provided to a law enforcement agency in response to lawful process from that prohibition.

This bill would define “lawful process,” for that purpose, to mean an action taken pursuant to a court-ordered subpoena or judicial warrant.

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 certain provisions of this bill would be part of the act and therefore a violation of the bill’s requirements, or a violation of a commission action implementing its requirements, would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 8

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. October 6, 2025Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 347, Statutes of 2025.
2. October 6, 2025Approved by the Governor.
3. September 16, 2025Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
4. September 9, 2025Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 61. Noes 14. Page 3120.).
5. September 8, 2025In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
6. September 8, 2025Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 29. Noes 9. Page 2626.).
7. September 4, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
8. September 3, 2025Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
9. August 26, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
10. August 25, 2025From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.
11. August 13, 2025In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
12. July 10, 2025Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.