AT&T’s California application for relief of carrier of last resort (COLR) obligations attracted interest from Congress last week. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., raised concerns about the request in a Wednesday letter to California Public Utilities Commission President Alice Reynolds. Schiff wrote "the withdrawal of AT&T landlines will not only harm consumer choice but also pose safety issues in California.” In fires, earthquakes and other natural disasters, “our landlines become the most dependable form of communication,” he added. “While wireless connection is unreliable and cell phones can run out of battery, copper landlines have stronger receptions during power outages.” Schiff cited Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) data that more than 580,000 affected AT&T customers would be left with few options. “AT&T’s proposed withdrawal would harm rural residents disproportionately and the CPUC should weigh this factor heavily in its review of their application to end their COLR obligation,” Schiff wrote. Others from Capitol Hill could weigh in on the CPUC proceeding (docket A.23-03-003). RCRC saw “a lot of interest in this subject” when its delegation visited congressional offices earlier this month, Senior Legislative Advocate Tracy Rhine told us Thursday. Yet an AT&T spokesperson said Friday it will not leave customers behind, though millions have already moved to wireless and high-speed internet services. “We’re working with the remaining consumers who use traditional copper-based phone service to upgrade to newer technologies from us or other providers, so everyone will still be able to make their most important life connections.”

The South Dakota Senate will vote again on a 911 bill that failed to pass the chamber Wednesday. Senators voted 28-3 on Thursday to reconsider Wednesday's vote, which HB-1092 lost. Then the Senate voted by voice for a motion to reconsider the bill Feb. 26. The House-approved bill would increase South Dakota’s 911 fee on monthly phone bills to $2, from $1.25 (see 2402090055). But on the floor Wednesday, the bill failed to get a two-thirds majority necessary to pass the Senate, with 21 senators voting yes and 11 voting no. Sen. Jean Hunhoff (R) raised a procedural concern that the state’s 911 coordination board didn’t recommend the increase. Sen. Ryan Maher (R) objected to rewarding problems at the board with a $7.5 million tax increase for South Dakotans. The proposed fee increase won’t cover 911 centers' shortfall, said Sen. Brent Hoffman (R). He questioned why prepaid wireless wouldn’t face an increase under the bill. Sen. Jim Mehlhaff (R), carrying the bill in the Senate, said the surcharge hasn’t kept up with rising 911 costs. Don’t punish local public safety answering points for problems at the state 911 board, he said. In addition, Mehlhaff argued that prepaid wireless appropriately pays 2% of the point-of-sale cost. On the floor Thursday, Sen. Casey Crabtree (R) said the extension will give legislators time to work through the concerns raised in Wednesday's debate.

NTIA accepted Maine's digital equity plan, making it the first state gaining approval, the federal agency said Thursday. Maine received $542,222 for its plan that addresses disparities in digital access, skills and affordability.

A Florida Senate committee combined House bills requiring age verification for those accessing social media (HB-1) and pornography (HB-3). At a Thursday hearing, the Fiscal Policy Committee on a voice vote approved an amendment that inserts the text of HB-3 into HB-1 and makes other changes. Then the panel cleared the amended bill. The Senate could vote on the bill Wednesday. Opposing the bill in committee, Sen. Geri Thompson (D) said legislators’ role is education, not censorship. Sen. Shev Johnson (D) said it’s not lawmakers’ role to parent the parents, and the bill doesn’t pass legal muster. Added Sen. Lori Berman (D), HB-1 has many practical problems, including that it would force adults to verify their age on many websites and its breadth could bar children from accessing educational sites. Yet Sen. Erin Grall (R), who is shepherding HB-1 in the Senate, said Florida isn’t suggesting it knows better than parents. The state is narrowly responding to an identified harm, she said. "This is a bill about not targeting our children in order to manipulate them." The new version of HB-1 continues to propose prohibiting children younger than 16 from having social media accounts regardless of parental consent but no longer would require social websites to disclose social media's possible mental health problems to those 16-18. The amended bill allows enforcement by the attorney general and through a private right of action. Other changes to bill definitions could mean that young people will also be banned from Amazon, LinkedIn and news websites, said Maxx Fenning, executive director of PRISM, an LGBTQ rights group in Florida. In addition, the American Civil Liberties Union opposed the bill. Banning kids younger than 16 even with their parents' consent "shows that the claim of parental rights of the last two legislative sessions had nothing to do with parental rights and everything to do with government censorship of viewpoints and information that government doesn't like,” ACLU-Florida Legislative Director Kara Gross said.

Virginia senators voted 40-0 to pass a children’s privacy bill Friday. SB-361 would add children-specific protections to the state’s comprehensive consumer privacy law. In addition, it would prohibit data controllers from selling a child’s information or using it for targeted advertising or profiling. The Senate amended the bill to match the text of HB-707, which passed the House last week (see 2402070063).

Nebraska legislators were skeptical during a livestreamed hearing Monday about a bill transferring state broadband grant duties to the Nebraska Broadband Office from the Public Service Commission (see 2401180020). The legislature’s Telecom Committee heard testimony on LB-1336. “I do not expect this bill to go anywhere," conceded sponsor Sen. Barry DeKay (R). But he said he wanted to start a discussion about whether there could be efficiencies moving the Nebraska Broadband Bridge Program to the office that is handling the broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program, he said. Legislators last year required the PSC to transfer BEAD authority to the broadband office, which was created in January 2023. Sen. Michaela Cavanaugh (D) is concerned that LB-1336 would erode the PSC, an agency that is far more transparent than the broadband office, she said. Sen. Tom Brandt (R) asked, "What do we as a state gain by moving this over to the broadband office?" While officially neutral on the bill, Nebraska PSC Commissioner Tim Schram (R) said his agency has “a proven record of three grant cycles” administering the broadband bridge program transparently and at a low cost. The bill isn’t clear on how the transition would occur, added Schram. The Nebraska Telecommunications Association opposed the bill since it is “generally pleased” with PSC administration of the bridge program, said President Tip O’Neill: And the broadband office is busy getting BEAD off the ground. The Nebraska Association of County Officials thinks it’s a good idea to eliminate redundancies, said Elaine Menzel, Nebraska Association of County Officials legal counsel. Also at the hearing, county and municipal officials opposed a bill that would expand state preemption of local government authority. The state already has a law limiting local fees and timelines for small-cell wireless deployments; LB-1112 would cover other broadband equipment on poles and towers. A single state policy isn’t appropriate for circumstances that vary locality by locality, said Lash Chaffin, League of Nebraska Municipalities utilities section director. The bill would restrict cities’ ability to ensure equipment and installations don’t harm health and safety, said Valerie Grimes, planning and development director for Norfolk, Nebraska. LB-1112 sponsor Sen. Robert Clements (R) said his bill would speed broadband deployment by lowering fees and delays.

The California Chamber of Commerce “is considering its options,” said a CalChamber spokesperson after a state appeals court on Friday reversed a lower court’s decision to delay a state agency’s enforcement of California Privacy Rights Act regulations (see 2402090078). In June, the California Superior Court in Sacramento had granted a CalChamber petition and stayed any California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) rules for 12 months after they become final (see 2307030025). The privacy agency could have started enforcing CPRA rules July 1, but the lower court’s decision meant rules adopted March 29, wouldn’t take effect for one year. “Because there is no ‘explicit and forceful language’ mandating that the Agency is prohibited from enforcing the Act until (at least) one year after the Agency approves final regulations, the trial court erred in concluding otherwise,” wrote 3rd District Justice Elena Duarte wrote. CalChamber praised the court for noting that the agency “failed to comply with the express terms of the statutory provision regarding the adoption of final regulations,” said the business group’s spokesperson: But CalChamber is disappointed that the appeals court didn’t “agree on a remedy for the Agency’s failure to comply.” The CPPA applauded the decision. “The California voters didn’t intend for businesses to pick and choose which privacy rights to honor,” said CPPA Enforcement Deputy Director Michael Macko: Agency enforcers stand “ready to take it from here.”

The governor must name Utah public service commissioners “with the advice and consent of the Senate,” said a bill that was signed into law Thursday by the state's Gov. Spencer Cox (R). In addition, SB-99 makes other procedural changes to Utah commissioner appointments.

Emergency communications bills advanced in multiple states last week. Thursday in Wisconsin, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 5-2 to approve SB-890 with a slight wording change. The full Senate could soon vote on the bill, which would require wireless providers to provide device location information to law enforcement without a warrant if the subscriber consents, if the provider believes disclosure could prevent a person’s death or injury or if the provider receives a written law enforcement request stating that disclosure is needed to respond to an emergency call or situation involving possible death or serious physical injury. The bill would give wireless providers immunity from criminal liability for such disclosures. Providers already have immunity from civil liability. In Hawaii, the Senate Government Operations Committee voted 3-0 Thursday to approve a bill (SB-3028) that would remove the term “enhanced” from state 911 law so that Hawaii can fund future 911 technologies. The Senate bill next needs approval from the Commerce and Ways and Means committees. The South Dakota Senate scheduled a second reading for Monday on the House-passed HB-1092, which would increase the state 911 fee on monthly phone bills to $2, from $1.25. The Senate Judiciary Committee cleared it Thursday (see 2402080071). In Washington state, the Senate voted 48-0 Thursday for SB-6308 to extend timelines for implementing the 988 mental health hotline, including providing the state health department 18 additional months to develop the technology platform (see 2402050049). The Senate also voted 31-18 that day for SB-5838, establishing an AI task force. Both Washington bills will go to the House.

The Oregon Public Utility Commission conditionally approved a settlement between Lumen’s CenturyLink and PUC staff on a successor price plan. Chair Megan Decker and Commissioner Letha Tawney, the PUC’s only members, signed the order Friday in docket UM 1908. While largely supporting the agreement, the commission said it shared "some of the broader public interest concerns" that the Oregon Citizens’ Utilities Board and Lumen customer Priscilla Weaver raised (see 2310250014). The commission directed the parties to revise the plan to explicitly say the company will maintain a 24/7 dedicated customer phone line, with certain requirements. The line should let callers report multiple addresses and the company should treat trouble tickets opened there as high priority. Also, the company should provide a monthly report on contacts through the line, it said. The Oregon PUC outlined other expectations. "CenturyLink is expected to include in its monthly [federal Rural Digital Opportunities Fund] build report any potential delays or issues … that could cause the project to continue past December 31, 2024, and corrective steps the company is taking," it said. PUC staff “is expected to monitor CenturyLink’s reports, as well as customer complaints, and raise any issues with the Commission as soon as possible, particularly with regards to health and safety issues or localized, chronic issues that may not be reflected immediately in the metrics.”