Bill Text: CA AB2867 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

Bill Title: Cable, satellite, and Internet service providers: contracts.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-06-13 - Stricken from file. [AB2867 Detail]

Download: California-2015-AB2867-Amended.html

---

BILL NUMBER: AB 2867	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 28, 2016
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 17, 2016

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Gatto

                        FEBRUARY 19, 2016

   An act to add  Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 8390) to
Division 4.1 of the Public Utilities Code,    Section
1726 to the Civil Code,  relating to  public utilities
  contracts  .



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2867, as amended, Gatto.  Public utilities: consumer
protection.   Cable and   Internet service
providers: contracts.  
   Existing law states the intent of the Legislature to establish
certain reasonable minimum standards with respect to consumer cable
television contracts. Existing law imposes certain requirements on
the imposition of late fees and sale or collection of delinquent
cable television accounts.  
   This bill would require a cable or Internet service provider that
enables an individual to subscribe to its services through an
Internet Web site to also enable those customers to cancel their
subscriptions through the Internet Web site.  
   Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory
authority over privately owned public utilities, including
electrical corporations, gas corporations, telephone corporations,
and water corporations.  
   Existing law authorizes the furnishing of utility services by
local publicly owned public utilities, including municipal
corporations, which are subject to control by their governing bodies,
and municipal utility districts, public utility districts, and
irrigation districts, which are subject to control by their boards of
directors.  
   This bill would require a privately owned or local publicly owned
public utility that enables an individual to subscribe to its
services through an Internet Web site to also enable all of its
customers to cancel their subscriptions through the site. To the
extent this bill would require a local publicly owned public utility
to change the options available on its Internet Web site, 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. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  yes
  no  . State-mandated local program:  yes
  no  .


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   SECTION 1.    Section 1726 is added to the  
Civil Code   , to read:  
   1726.  If a cable or Internet service provider enables an
individual to subscribe to its services through an Internet Web site,
it shall also enable all of its customers to cancel their
subscriptions through the Internet Web site.  
  SECTION 1.    Chapter 6 (commencing with Section
8390) is added to Division 4.1 of the Public Utilities Code, to read:

      CHAPTER 6.  CONSUMER PROTECTION


   8390.  If a privately owned or local publicly owned public utility
enables an individual to subscribe to its services through an
Internet Web site, it shall also enable all of its customers to
cancel their subscriptions through the Internet Web site. 

  SEC. 2.    No reimbursement is required by this
act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
Constitution because a local agency or school district has the
authority to levy service charges, fees, or assessments sufficient to
pay for the program or level of service mandated by this act, within
the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code.