The South Dakota Senate Judiciary Committee voted 4-2 Thursday to clear a bill increasing a state 911 fee on monthly phone bills to $2, from $1.25. The committee's approval of HB-1092 followed House passage last week (see 2402010025). CTIA opposed the bill in a Jan. 23 letter to the House Taxation Committee. “This 60 percent increase would result in South Dakota consumers paying about $8 million more in taxes, with about $6 million of the increase borne by wireless consumers,” the mobile industry association wrote.
California could be first in the nation to codify the FCC’s definition of digital discrimination into state law. Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D) introduced AB-2239 on Wednesday, the California Alliance for Digital Equity said Thursday. “This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to adopt subsequent legislation that codifies a definition of ‘digital discrimination of access’ in state law that conforms to the definition adopted by the Federal Communications Commission,” said a legislative digest on the measure. In a November order (see 2311150040), the FCC defined “digital discrimination of access” as “policies or practices, not justified by genuine issues of technical or economic feasibility, that (1) differentially impact consumers' access to broadband internet access service based on their income level, race, ethnicity, color, religion, or national origin or (2) are intended to have such differential impact.” Defining digital discrimination could help move a proceeding on digital redlining at the California Public Utilities Commission, said Shayna Englin, California Community Foundation director-digital equity initiative, in an interview. The proceeding stalled amid argument about the definition, said Englin. CPUC digital redlining rules would guide the agency in the years ahead as it distributes $8 billion state and federal broadband funding, she said. Englin predicted a fight between digital equity advocates and the telecom industry, which is expected to oppose AB-2239. The California Broadband and Video Association is reviewing the legislation, said a spokesperson for the state cable group. USTelecom declined to comment. The Los Angeles City Council passed a similar law at the local level last month.
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission unanimously supported revising various telecom rules at a Thursday meeting. In three separate 3-0 votes, the commission supported staff’s proposed changes to Chapter 55 rules for telecom services (docket RM2023-000017), Chapter 56 rules for interexchange telecom service resellers (RM2023-000018) and Chapter 57 rules for operator service providers telecom services (RM2023-000019). During the meeting, the commission slightly modified the Chapter 55 proposal to remove a sentence related to submitting changes to a company’s principal business address. The removed sentence read, "The submission shall be accompanied by an attestation that the tariff and/or Terms of Service are identical, except for the address change to the existing tariffs and/or Terms of Service."
Utah state senators supported requiring content filters to be activated for minors using tablets and smartphones. The Senate voted 25-3 to approve SB-104 and send it to the House on Wednesday.
The Virginia Senate passed a junk-fees bill Tuesday that the wireless industry raised concerns about last month. Also on that day the Senate approved an AI bill and the House passed a kids privacy bill. State senators voted 28-11 for SB-388, which would prohibit businesses from displaying prices that don’t include mandatory added fees other than taxes. CTIA opposed including the wireless industry in the bill. The FCC’s 2023 broadband labeling rules already protect consumers from surprise or unfair fees, the association said in a Jan. 24 letter. Wireless providers also follow the FCC’s truth-in-billing requirements, CTIA said. “Any new law should expressly exempt services already regulated by the FCC.” The Virginia Senate voted 39-0 for SB-487, which would set guardrails on public bodies’ use of AI. The House voted 98-0 for HB-707, which would add children-specific protections to the state’s comprehensive consumer privacy law. It would prohibit data controllers from selling a child’s personal data or using it for targeted advertising or profiling (see 2401310071).
A Hawaii digital equity bill cleared the Senate Energy Committee by a 5-0 vote Tuesday. The panel approved SB-3048 to seek out remaining obstacles to digital equity and establish a grant program. The bill next needs the Judiciary and Ways and Means committees’ approval. A House version cleared that chamber’s Technology Committee last week (see 2402050024).
Congress should extend the affordable connectivity program, Wisconsin Public Service Commission Chairperson Summer Strand wrote Tuesday. “The ACP is an effective resource for millions of families,” said Strand. “Access to broadband infrastructure alone is not enough to bridge the digital divide … The path to internet affordability starts by extending the ACP.”
The Florida Senate's version of a bill banning kids younger than 16 from having social media accounts cleared the Judiciary Committee on Monday. The panel voted 7-2 for Sen. Erin Grall's (R) SB-1788. It shares language with the House-approved HB-1, including prohibiting children from having accounts even with parental consent. However, the Senate bill wouldn't require social websites to disclose social media's possible mental health issues to those 16-18. A bipartisan majority in the House supported HB-1 last month (see 2401240079). Also, the Judiciary Committee voted 9-0 for Grall's SB-1792, which would require strict age verification for porn websites. It’s similar to HB-3, which unanimously passed the House (see 2401250017).
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) signed a bill Monday to clarify that satellite TV and streaming video fall outside cable franchise fees. H-3782 passed the legislature last month (see 2401250025). The Missouri House Rules Committee on Monday teed up a similar bill (HB-2057) for a full House vote. The Utilities Committee approved it last month (see 2401260025). Also that day in Missouri, the Senate Judiciary Committee cleared a bill to cap inmate phone calling rates. Under SB-1098, state correctional centers couldn’t charge more than 12 cents per minute for domestic calls, including fees. The bill would cap the amount at 14 cents for local jails with at least 1,000 inmates and 21 cents for jails with fewer inmates.
A New York state Senate data privacy bill cleared the Consumer Protection Committee for the second straight year during a livestreamed hearing Tuesday. In a voice vote, the panel supported advancing S-365 to the Internet and Technology Committee. The comprehensive measure by Consumer Protection Chair Kevin Thomas (D) passed the full Senate last year (see 2306090052). However, because the Assembly didn’t take it up in 2023, the bill returned to the Senate on Jan. 3. “It’s a bill that is necessary, especially since AI is generating so much right now,” said Thomas. “Data privacy goes first, and then the guardrails need to be set on AI.” Later in the morning, the Senate Telecom Committee unanimously cleared a cable prorating bill by Sen. Leroy Comrie (D), sending it to the Senate floor. S-493 would allow cable customers to seek a prorated refund if their service was disconnected or downgraded. The legislation received the committee’s approval last year (see 2305160033) but returned to the panel Jan. 3 because the full Senate didn’t vote on it in 2023. On Monday, the Telecom Committee sent a bill (S-1203) to the floor that would prohibit broadband terminations and disconnections during state disaster emergencies.