California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill Friday extending the California Public Utilities Commission's Deaf and Disabled Telecom Program to Dec. 31, 2034. SB-142 also extends the commission's surcharge for the Deaf and Disabled Telecom Program Administrative Committee Fund and authorizes it to make recommendations regarding program funding. The law took effect immediately.

California lawmakers approved a bill Monday establishing a process for the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to allow companies to request relief from carrier of last resort (COLR) obligations. The move comes as the CPUC conducts a rulemaking on the issue (see 2506170067). The Assembly Committee on Communications and Conveyance voted unanimously, with two nonvoting members present, to pass AB-470. The bill would define "eligible area" as a "well-served" census block of at least three different facilities-based providers. The CPUC would have until Dec. 15, 2026, to adopt a map designating such areas.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) approved a bill Friday strengthening consumer protections under the state's Telemarketing Disclosure and Privacy Act. SB-140, which takes effect Sept. 1. It expands the definition of a "telephone call" to include texts and other electronic transmissions. Consumers will also have a new private right of action to seek damages against a company for a telemarketing violation and may seek damages as many times as a violation arises. "Expect to see even more aggressive, serial litigants and filings in Texas," wrote telecom attorney Puja Amin in a blog post Tuesday. The law "is a huge gift" to plaintiffs' attorneys who may have "had the doors to federal courthouses closed on similar claims."

Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed a bill Wednesday establishing a fund for the Department of Corrections to offset certain technology costs for incarcerated individuals. The bill, LD-45, established a Resident Technology Fund for buying and maintaining technology provided to incarcerated individuals for educational or work programs, including computers, laptops and external storage devices. The commissioner may also charge a fee for using the technology, up to 7% of an individual's monthly earnings after any deductions.

Californians can't combine their state and federal Lifeline subsidies for stand-alone wireline broadband service, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) said in a decision published Tuesday (docket 20-02-008). The commission's Public Advocate Office and the Utility Reform Network petitioned the CPUC in April 2024 while the FCC was sunsetting the Affordable Connectivity Program. Residents were eligible during the program to combine their subsidies. Several ISPs, including AT&T, Charter, Cox, Consolidated Communications and Frontier, opposed the petition and cited legal, policy and procedural issues. "While we deny the petition based on these procedural flaws, we agree with the petitioners that the commission should explore ways to make broadband more affordable to Californians," the decision said.

Wisconsin lawmakers approved a bill Monday that would provide grants to organizations that provide services through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. SB-307 would direct the Department of Health Services to administer the grant program. No funding total was included in the bill text.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) approved a bill Monday that would expand the state's list of mental health crisis services to include the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Care Act puts oversight of 988 call centers under the Department of Children and Families, which will adopt standards for them, including service standards, personnel training and quality of care. Providers will be reimbursed for providing this service "based on the availability of funds."

The Oklahoma Broadband Office announced the launch of a $1.7 million broadband expansion project with Canadian Valley Telephone Friday (see 2505210045). The project, which is funded through a $1.3 million federal grant and $430,000 in matching funds, will connect 426 homes and businesses with fiber. Total broadband investments from the Oklahoma Governing Board and matching funds from ISPs has surpassed $840 million so far with at least one project anticipated in 59 of the state's 77 counties.

The New York Senate voted 45-14 Thursday to approve a bill that would address junk fees. S-363 would require businesses, such as ISPs and cable providers, to display certain mandatory fees and the total price of their services. In addition, it would exclude "any tax, duty, fee or custom levied by any local, state, federal or other governmental or quasi-governmental entity" from its list of mandatory fees. Fourteen Senate Democrats introduced the legislation, the New York Junk Fee Prevention Act, in January. Providers would be deemed in compliance if they're abiding by the FCC's consumer broadband label rules. The bill accounts for the possibility of the FCC's rules no longer being applicable and establishes similar provisions for providers. Such mandatory fees would include surcharges that are "not reasonably avoidable" to make a purchase or require action by a consumer to remove them.

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D) announced more than $58 million in Completing Access to Broadband program funding Wednesday. The latest round of funding, which comes from the American Rescue Plan, will connect 10,076 homes and businesses to fiber broadband services in 26 counties. Awards went to Brightspeed, whose projects span 15 of the 26 counties, as well as Spectrum, Windstream, ERC Broadband, Lumbee River Electric Membership Corp. and Zirrus.