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California bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

California AB 1303

Communications: lifeline telephone service program.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed House
  4. Passed Senate
  5. To Governor
  6. Became law

Sponsors

Cosponsors (7)

Summary

Official abstract published by the California legislature· summary

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. 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.

Text versions

Roll-call votes

State vote data last updated Oct 16, 2026, 4:04 AM.

DateVoteResultYour legislators
Sep 9, 2025
House		AB 1303 Valencia Concurrence in Senate AmendmentspassSet your home in California to see
Sep 8, 2025
Senate		3rd Reading AB1303 Valencia et al. By GonzalezpassSet your home in California to see
Jul 8, 2025
Senate		Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]passSet your home in California to see
Jun 17, 2025
Senate		Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Judiciary]passSet your home in California to see
May 20, 2025
House		AB 1303 Valencia Assembly Third ReadingpassSet your home in California to see
May 14, 2025
House		Do pass.passSet your home in California to see
Apr 29, 2025
House		Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]passSet your home in California to see
Apr 9, 2025
House		Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]passSet your home in California to see

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