California Assembly Mulls Robocalls, Privacy Amid Virus

California Assembly members weighed telecom and privacy bills responding to COVID-19 at Tuesday hearings. The Communications and Conveyance Committee cleared an anti-robocalls bill (AB-3007) brought to the legislature by Consumer Reports. It’s even more important now, with more telemarketing robocalls about COVID-19, and with rising unemployment increasing the need for protections from debt-collection robocalls, said CR Policy Analyst Maureen Mahoney. CTIA and the California Cable & Telecommunications Association representatives supported the robocalls bill after it was amended to remove a section requiring companies to provide call mitigation technology. The communications panel voted 9-0 for a California LifeLine bill (AB-3079) meant to increase participation and reduce administrative barriers in the low-income subsidy program. Assembly sponsor Eduardo Garcia (D) said participation increased about 10% during COVID-19 but the program remains underutilized. Assemblymember Jay Obernolte (R) opposed using surcharges paid only by phone companies for broadband. He said the legislature itself should decide whether to expand the program rather than punt the decision to the CPUC. The panel unanimously cleared AB-2189 to authorize small independent telcos to request rate cases at the California Public Utilities Commission through advice letters, a process that would be faster than a formal rate case. The Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee will prioritize privacy bills that respond to the coronavirus, said Chairman Ed Chau (D) at the panel’s separate hearing. The panel voted 10-0 for AB-2004 by Majority Leader Ian Calderon (D) to allow blockchain for securely sending medical test results to patients. No members opposed AB-3116 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D) to clarify bike-share trip location data is protected under the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act. Other bills included AB-2261 by Chau to make rules for public and private usage of facial recognition technology, including an opt-in requirement for entering or disclosing an individual’s facial information; and AB-2320 by Chau to require state contractors maintain cyber insurance to cover losses from possible unlawful access to or disclosure of personal information. Chau and many other committee members wore masks and spoke into a bagged mic, though three Republican members didn’t wear masks. Californians for Consumer Privacy said Monday it submitted more than 900,000 signatures for a ballot initiative to tighten the California Consumer Privacy Act (see 1912180012). That’s about 280,000 more than needed to get on 2020’s ballot, though signatures must be verified. The initiative’s author sponsored the 2018 ballot initiative that led to the legislature quickly passing CCPA.