California Assembly Bill AB142

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/8/25
• Refer: 2/3/25
• Engrossed: 3/20/25
• Refer: 3/20/25
• Refer: 4/2/25
• Report Pass: 6/24/25
• Refer: 6/24/25
• Report Pass: 6/25/25
• Refer: 7/2/25

Caption

An act relating to the Budget Act of 2025. An act to amend Section 2881 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

Summary

AB 142 is a Budget Act trailer bill that extends and updates California’s Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program (DDTP). The bill continues the California Public Utilities Commission’s authority to collect the DDTP surcharge through December 31, 2034, with annual legislative appropriation and a cap of up to $100 million per year. It also requires surcharge revenues to be transferred to the Controller for deposit into the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program Administrative Committee Fund. The bill preserves the program’s core services for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, disabled, or have speech disabilities, including telecommunications devices, relay services, specialized or supplemental equipment, and speech-generating devices. It also keeps the commission’s ongoing duty to assess the program’s scope and adapt it to evolving telecommunications technology. In addition, AB 142 changes the commission’s role in surcharge oversight: instead of authorizing the commission to make direct surcharge adjustments, it would authorize the commission to make recommendations to the Legislature regarding appropriations under the program.

Impact

AB 142 amends Public Utilities Code Section 2881, extending the DDTP surcharge authority and related fund administration provisions for nearly a decade beyond the prior sunset. It shifts the handling of collected surcharge revenues into the state treasury process through the Controller and the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program Administrative Committee Fund, while maintaining the commission’s authority to direct telephone corporations to comply with program requirements. The bill also removes the prior surcharge-adjustment mechanism and replaces it with a recommendation role for the commission, which may affect how program funding levels are managed in future budget cycles. Because violations of commission actions can be criminally enforceable, the bill is also framed as creating a state-mandated local program, though it states no reimbursement is required.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests broad support for the bill. It passed the Assembly with a strong majority and later received a unanimous do-pass vote in committee. The urgency clause and budget-related framing indicate that lawmakers viewed the measure as necessary to avoid interruption in essential telecommunications access services for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. No committee transcript was provided, so the record here reflects support inferred primarily from the votes and the bill’s stated purpose.

Contention

The main policy change that could draw attention is the shift from commission-set surcharge adjustments to legislative recommendations on appropriations, which may be seen as reducing administrative flexibility and increasing legislative control over program funding. Another possible point of concern is the extension of a surcharge-funded program through 2034, since that continues a dedicated charge on telephone subscribers and keeps the annual funding cap in place. However, the bill text and vote record do not show significant opposition in the materials provided, and the unanimous committee vote suggests little visible contention in committee.