California Senate Clears Dig-Once, Lifeline Bills After Changes
The California Senate amended and passed bills on dig once and Lifeline reimbursement claims and sent them back to the Assembly. The Senate voted 39-0 Tuesday to pass AB-1549, but amended the dig-once bill to relax some of its requirements…
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on the state’s Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The bill still requires Caltrans to notify broadband companies about highway construction projects so they can install broadband conduit as part of each project, but the Senate removed language saying Caltrans would be required to install fiber broadband conduit itself if no broadband company offers to help. Instead, Caltrans would have to consult with stakeholders on or before Jan. 1, 2018, to “develop guidelines to facilitate the installation of broadband conduit on state highway rights-of-way,” the amended bill said. The amendment also removed a requirement that Caltrans maintain an inventory on a centralized database of all broadband conduits housing fiber cables owned by the department, located on state highways and installed on or after Jan. 1, 2017. The database would have been available upon request to broadband companies or organizations. The Senate also voted 39-0 to pass an amended AB-2570, requiring the California Public Utilities Commission to adopt a portability freeze rule for the state Lifeline program by Jan. 15. That requirement replaced language prohibiting the CPUC from reimbursing phone companies for Lifeline claims to new subscribers who enrolled for Lifeline service with another telco within the previous 60 days.