Bill Text: CA AB2737 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: "211" telephone number system.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-04-05 - In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author. [AB2737 Detail]
Download: California-2009-AB2737-Introduced.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 2737 INTRODUCED
BILL TEXT
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Block
FEBRUARY 19, 2010
An act to add Article 6.7 (commencing with Section 53128) to
Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code,
relating to telecommunications.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2737, as introduced, Block. "211" telephone number system.
Existing law requires a public safety agency, as defined, to
maintain a "911" emergency telephone number, as specified, and sets
forth the duties of the Division of Telecommunications of the
Department of General Services, including the provision of management
oversight of statewide telecommunications developments. Existing law
authorizes a local public agency, as defined, to establish a
nonemergency "311" telephone system, and authorizes the Division of
Telecommunications to, among other things, aid local public agencies
in the formulation of concepts, methods, and procedures that will
improve the operation of the "311" systems and to increase
cooperation among public agencies.
This bill would authorize the Public Utilities Commission to
designate a lead entity for the implementation of a "211" abbreviated
telephone dialing system throughout the state to provide information
and referral services in accordance with applicable federal law. The
bill would provide that a 211 information and referral services
provider and its employees, directors, officers, agents, or any
public or nonprofit agency that provides information to a "211"
system are not liable to any person in a civil action for injuries or
losses to persons or property, as a result of an act or omission of
the provider or its employees, directors, officers, or agents, in
connection with certain specified activities, unless the act or
omission constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. (a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of
the following:
(1) Californians need easy-to-find, easy-to-access information for
their social services needs as provided by "211" call centers.
(2) Californians experience major disasters every year and need
up-to-date, accurate information during those disasters in a manner
that prevents overloading "911" systems with nonemergency calls.
(3) Over the past several years, California has experienced major
wildfire and other natural disasters where the population either
benefited from, or could have benefited from, a "211" system that
provided information regarding evacuation, shelters, and other
services.
(4) In 2008, "211" call centers in California handled over 1.2
million calls to assist people in finding the help they needed.
(5) At a time of great economic crisis, with "211" call centers
experiencing a 40-percent increase in calls for help, "211" is more
important than ever to providing Californians access to the
information and services they need.
(6) California families are struggling in this economic recession.
With the unemployment rate surpassing 10 percent in the state, many
workers are losing their jobs, their homes, and their health care.
All too often, families and individuals don't know where to turn for
help. "211" is an easy-to-remember number that provides access to
telephone and Internet-based means to connect people to the help they
need now, and allows the caller to speak to a live person about his
or her needs.
(7) Many Californians, including senior citizens, people with
disabilities, and low-income families, have restricted mobility.
Where available, Californians can call "211" to obtain information on
transportation services or other social services in order to help
them maintain their independence.
(8) Many of the counties that do not have a "211" system lack the
resources to plan and implement a "211" system on their own. These
counties need the assistance of the state and federal governments to
help their residents access health and human service programs and
disaster response information.
(9) In authorizing the use of the "211" dialing code, the Federal
Communications Commission found that "[i]ndividuals facing serious
threats to life, health, and mental well-being have urgent and
critical needs that are not addressed by dialing 9-1-1 for emergency
assistance or 3-1-1 for nonemergency police assistance."
(10) Californians need help navigating the sea of telephone help
lines available to assist them, many of which rely on automated menu
systems, only provide recorded information, or lack the capability to
provide multilingual service or evening and weekend service.
Research shows it sometimes takes a caller as many as eight separate
calls to be connected with the appropriate resource. The "211" system
allows those in need to make one free call to access the information
and resources they need, in 140 different languages, 24 hours a day.
(11) The 2-1-1 California Partnership (2-1-1 California), a
partnership of the California Alliance of Information and Referral
Services (CAIRS) and the United Ways of California, currently
coordinates statewide planning and research activities and provides
leadership for "211" systems in California. 2-1-1 California has
worked with key state agencies to establish and improve "211" systems
in California, including the Public Utilities Commission, the
California Emergency Management Agency, the State 911 Advisory Board,
the California Health and Human Services Agency, California
Volunteers, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Food
and Agriculture, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(12) 2-1-1 California is governed under the leadership of CAIRS
and the United Ways of California, which are the main entities in the
state that provide funding, training, standards, and technical
support to the "211" call centers and oversee operations and planning
for expanding "211" coverage statewide.
(13) Currently, there are 23 California counties with established
"211" systems, serving 87 percent of the state's population. All "211"
call centers in California look to 2-1-1 California for direction,
guidance, and leadership.
(14) Federal legislation, H.R.211 and S.211, which would direct
grants to each state to carry out a program for making available
throughout that state the 211 telephone service for information and
referral on human services, is close to passing in 2010. There are
currently 191 bipartisan cosponsors in the House of Representatives,
and 56 in the Senate. CAIRS and United Way expect this authorizing
legislation to pass this year, and appropriations to begin in 2011.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to do all of the
following:
(1) Ensure that the state has a process for complying with federal
law that will require each state to have a 211 lead entity to
coordinate the distribution of federal funds and to ensure that the
state's 211 system is in compliance with federal requirements.
(2) Ensure that all Californians have access to an
easy-to-remember, toll-free number that can help them access the
information, services, and benefits they need from public and
nonprofit social service and emergency service providers.
(3) Ensure that the state has a more efficient and cost-beneficial
way to provide information, while saving public agencies the costs
of operating many help lines and reducing misdirected service
requests from the general public.
SEC. 2. Article 6.7 (commencing with Section 53128) is added to
Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code,
to read:
Article 6.7. 211 Telephone Dialing System for Nonemergency
Information and Referral Service
53128. (a) As used in this article, "211 information and referral
service provider" means an information and referral service provider
authorized by the Public Utilities Commission to use the "211"
abbreviated telephone dialing code, the primary purpose of which is
to maintain information about human service resources in the service
area and to link people who need assistance with appropriate service
providers and to supply descriptive information about existing
service providers.
(b) Except as specified in subdivision (c), a 211 information and
referral service provider and its employees, directors, officers,
agents, or any public or nonprofit agency that provides information
to a "211" system, are not liable to any person in a civil action for
injuries or losses to persons or property, as a result of an act or
omission of the authorized information and referral service provider
and its employees, directors, officers, agents, or any public or
nonprofit agency that supplies information to a "211" system, in
connection with any of the following:
(1) Developing, adopting, implementing, maintaining, or operating
a "211" system.
(2) Making "211" available for use by the public.
(3) Providing "211" services.
(c) Subdivision (b) is not applicable to injuries or losses
resulting from the willful or wanton misconduct of the information
and referral service provider or its employees, directors, officers,
agents, or any public or nonprofit agency that supplies information
to a "211" system.
53128.1. (a) The Public Utilities Commission may designate a lead
entity, as provided in subdivision (b), for the implementation of a
"211" abbreviated telephone dialing system throughout the state in
accordance with applicable federal law.
(b) The lead entity may be a state agency, the Public Utilities
Commission, an entity that exists by order or decision of the Public
Utilities Commission, or a collaborative entity established for that
purpose from among the following:
(1) An informal existing 2-1-1 statewide collaborative, if any, in
the state.
(2) State agencies.
(3) Community-based organizations.
(4) Faith-based organizations.
(5) Not-for-profit organizations.
(6) Comprehensive and specialized information and referral
providers, including current 2-1-1 call centers.
(7) Foundations.
(8) Businesses.
(c) An entity designated as the lead entity pursuant to
subdivision (b) shall collaborate, to the extent practicable, with
other organizations and entities listed in that subdivision. All
state agencies and other official state organizations may provide
reasonable assistance and cooperation in carrying out the purposes of
this article, including, but not limited to, promoting the use of
"211" telephone dialing for access to health and social services and
for disaster response information.
53128.2. The lead entity, to the extent feasible, shall meet all
of the following qualifications:
(a) Consist of representatives from different geographic areas of
the state.
(b) Demonstrate experience in statewide "211" planning and
implementation efforts in the state.
(c) Demonstrate established relationships with information and
referral service providers throughout the state, and the means to
maintain those relationships.
(d) Demonstrate established relationships with national
information and referral service interests and with information and
referral service interests in other states.
(e) Demonstrate substantial expertise with the operational
requirements of information and referral service providers in the
state, including, but not limited to, database resources, software
requirements, and referral practices.
(f) Have the endorsement of "211" information and referral service
providers to act as the lead entity and to represent the system in
statewide matters.
53128.3. The lead entity shall do all of the following:
(a) Perform planning, administrative, fiscal, and reporting
functions required under any state and federal "211" funding program.
(b) Develop a plan for implementation of "211" services throughout
the state.
(c) Allocate "211" funds to entities in accordance with applicable
law.
(d) Report activities and progress as requested by the Legislature
or the Public Utilities Commission.
(e) Act as liaison between state agencies and information and
referral service providers, local exchange carriers, and local public
agencies for the purposes of coordinating communication, training,
and development of public-private partnerships and updating statewide
service information.
(f) Operate the system in a manner that is consistent with the
applicable orders of the Federal Communications Commission and the
Public Utilities Commission.
53128.4. In administering funding, the lead entity shall
accomplish all of the following:
(a) Maximize the federal funds available to 211 information and
referral providers to provide comprehensive information and referral
services throughout the state.
(b) Consider population, poverty rates, and geographic isolation
when allocating funds.
(c) When initially allocating funds, consider information and
referral service providers' developmental requirements in addition to
their operational requirements.
(d) Ensure that any fund matching requirement is met.
53128.5. (a) The activities of the lead entity may be funded in
any of the following manners:
(1) Through compliance with federal funding opportunities, to the
extent consistent with state law, including potential future funding
through the proposed Calling for 2-1-1 Act of 2009 (S. 211 and H.R.
211).
(2) Upon appropriation by the Legislature.
(3) By other public and private sources.
(4) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the responsibilities of the
lead entity, pursuant to this article, are contingent upon the
availability of federal funds, and the lead entity is not required to
carry out the requirements of this article until those federal funds
are available.
