The Assembly Appropriations Committee has scheduled a hearing for SB424: The Get Connected California Act.
GET INVOLVED:
READ THE CETF LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR SB424 June 21, 2024
SEND LETTER OF SUPPORT TO THE ASSEMBLY APPROPRITATIONS COMMITTEE
SUBSCRIBE TO CETF LEGISLATIVE ACTION ALERTS
The Problem:
In California, 5.8 million households were ACP-eligible. California outperformed all other states by enrolling almost 3 million households in ACP – the rich lessons learned during this enrollment process now inform key provisions of SB424. However, more than 2.8 million households remain to be reached – most of who were not even aware of ACP according to the 2023 Statewide Digital Equity Survey.
The bedrock question is: Shouldn’t ISPs who are receiving taxpayer or ratepayer funds be required to assist the State in getting all low-income households online so that everyone can participate in modern daily life as we know it? The challenge is to ensure that ISPs continue to offer affordable Internet subscriptions for low-income households and join with the State in increasing awareness.
The Solution:
SB424 requires the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to ensure all deployment grant awardees that receive funding from certain accounts within the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF), offer affordable home Internet service to households in the project area.
Why SB424 Matters:
SB424 is the essential backstop and back-up plan to ensure that all low-income households in California will have affordable home Internet service regardless of what the federal government does. However, if Congress reauthorizes an affordable Internet program, then SB424 also aligns all efforts for California to get our fair share of federal funds.
