New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signed bills this week on consumer data privacy protections (S-332) and telephone line abandonment rules (A-1100). The legislature passed the bills earlier this month (see 2401080073). “I am heartened that consumers will now be given a say in the distribution of their personal information,” Murphy wrote in a signing statement. New Jersey is the 14th state with a comprehensive privacy law.

Crown Castle may install more than 22 miles of fiber in Connecticut, the state’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) decided Wednesday. By a 3-0 vote, PURA granted the infrastructure company’s Nov. 22 and Dec. 18 applications in docket 19-02-28. PURA said Crown plans to attach fiber equipment to poles owned by Frontier Communications and either Eversource Energy or United Illuminating.

Wisconsin legislators advanced bills prohibiting caller ID spoofing and supporting next-generation 911 (NG-911). The Assembly Consumer Protection Committee voted unanimously to clear anti-spoofing bill AB-559 on Wednesday, one day after the Senate passed the similar SB-531. AB-559 goes next to the Assembly floor. The Assembly Finance Committee voted 12-1 Tuesday to advance AB-356, which would provide grants to support migration to NG-911 (see 2312200055). The bill is on Thursday’s Assembly floor calendar. The similar SB-371 is on the Senate’s calendar the same day.

The West Virginia Public Service Commission ordered its administrative law judges division to reach a decision by July 2 on the state E-911 Council’s complaint against Frontier Communications. Participants in docket 23-0921-T-C may seek an extension, said Tuesday’s PSC order. The council complained that 10 emergency call centers couldn’t receive 911 calls for nearly 10 hours during a three-day period in November (see 2312070015).

Municipal police dispatchers should get a slice of county 911 fee revenue in Washington state if they receive emergency calls transferred from the county, House Appropriations Committee Chair Timm Ormsby (D) said at a Local Government Committee hearing livestreamed Tuesday. Ormsby sponsored HB-2258, which would require counties collecting the tax to transfer some of the revenue to local governments operating municipal 911 systems. Currently, counties may impose a 911 excise tax of up to 70 cents monthly per line on landlines, wireless and VoIP; states may additionally impose a 911 tax of up to 25 cents. But in some areas, like Spokane, the county emergency communications center transfers calls requiring police to the city, which doesn’t receive any 911 fee revenue, said Ormsby. “This is about making sure that folks in our community that pay that excise tax get services for the larger portion of the 911 calls that are police, not fire related.” The bill wouldn’t raise the 911 tax, he said in response to a question by Rep. Cyndy Jacobsen (R).

Nevada, New Jersey and New York diverted about $205.4 million, or 5.3% of all 911 fee revenue, for unrelated purposes in 2022, an FCC report to Congress posted Tuesday found. The commission’s previous annual report found the same three states diverting about $198.5 million in 2021. The states used some of the revenue for public safety programs unrelated to 911; New York and New Jersey also used a portion for purposes unrelated to 911, the FCC said. Under the NET 911 Act, states must use 911 fee revenue for 911-related activities. The agency said 49 states, the District of Columbia and four territories responded to last year’s data request. Together they collected more than $3.5 billion in 2022 for 911. Idaho and the Northern Mariana Islands didn't report. New Jersey diverted 78.1% of $127.1 million collected, while fellow repeat offender New York diverted 41.7% of $254.4 million collected, said the report: It's unknown how much Nevada diverted from a $2.9 million pot. Nevada disclosed that at least two local jurisdictions diverted funding in 2022 for police body and vehicular cameras, the report said. “New Jersey and New York did not self-identify ... as diverting funds, but, consistent with previous reports, the Bureau has determined based on review of the information provided that these states diverted funds for non-911 related purposes within the meaning of the NET 911 Act.” In addition, the FCC said 44 states, D.C., Guam and Puerto Rico reported $512 million in total next-generation 911 spending in 2022. It said 37 states and jurisdictions reported having operating emergency services IP networks (ESInets). D.C., Puerto Rico and 47 states reported having text-to-911 by the end of 2022. Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands expected to provide that capability in 2023, the report said. National Emergency Number Association CEO Brian Fontes said it's unfortunate and unacceptable that some states still see 911 revenue as a way to fund other programs. "Funds that the public pays specifically for 9-1-1 purposes should be used to ensure that 9-1-1 callers receive an effective emergency response." NENA urges states that divert funds to end the practice. Instead, they should use the money for maintaining 911 service levels and upgrading to NG-911, he said.

State Commissioner Tyler Huebner will leave the Wisconsin Public Service Commission after the GOP-majority state Senate voted to reject his nomination, the PSC said Tuesday. In Wisconsin, a governor’s nominee can serve on the commission before receiving Senate confirmation. Gov. Tony Evers (D) appointed Huebner in March 2020 and reappointed him for a six-year term that began March 2021. “The decision by Senate Republicans to fire him today defies justification and logic,” Evers said Tuesday. Evers appointed Kristy Nieto, the PSC’s energy division administrator, to replace Huebner starting Feb. 2 for a term that expires March 1, 2025, the governor’s office said. In a statement, Huebner said, “I am moving forward, and I plan to build on my work at the Commission and throughout my career to tackle some of the big challenges of our times in a different capacity.” PSC Chairperson Rebecca Cameron Valcq also leaves the commission this month (see 2401110059).

The California Public Utilities Commission set a two-day evidentiary hearing April 9-10 on AT&T’s application to relinquish its eligible telecom carrier (ETC) designation across the state (docket A.23-03-002). The hearing starts at 10 a.m. PST each day, said Administrative Law Judge Thomas Glegola in a Friday ruling. Under the new schedule, AT&T remains required to file rebuttal testimony by Friday (see 2310200050). Opening briefs are due May 17, reply briefs June 7, said the ruling. The CPUC expects to post a proposed decision in September, it said.

Cable companies urged the Maine Public Utilities Commission to quickly align the state’s Chapter 880 pole attachment rules with the FCC’s December pole attachment order. The FCC order aimed at resolving disputes quicker. It takes effect Feb. 12 (see 2401110017). The Maine PUC received comments Friday on implementing a 2023 state law requiring a commission study on pole attachment requirements’ effect on broadband expansion. "Because pole replacement costs impose a significant barrier to broadband deployment, especially in rural areas, the [Maine PUC] should make similar amendments or clarifications to the Chapter 880 Rules,” Comcast and Charter Communications wrote. "While the pole replacement cost allocation approach in Section 5(C) of the Chapter 880 rules already limits, in some ways, pole replacement costs charged to attachers, the current rule is unclear and leaves room for uneconomic, inequitable, and inappropriate cost-shifting by pole owners to attachers." For pole applications and make ready, the PUC shouldn't treat municipal entities differently than private companies, the two cable companies added. The Maine PUC proceeding should seek to make the application process more efficient, ensure one-touch make-ready and self-help remedies are readily available, enforce deadlines for pole owner work and update make-ready payment obligations, commented Crown Castle and GoNetSpeed. Don't make attachers pay for system improvements that mostly benefit pole owners, they said.

The California Privacy Protection Agency, the nation's first dedicated privacy regulator, has “many investigations underway,” Executive Director Ashkan Soltani said at a partially virtual CPPA board meeting Friday. Soltani estimated that the agency has received about 100 complaints from consumers since forming in 2021. The CPPA’s data broker registry is up and running after a 2023 bill transferred it to the agency from the California DOJ, Soltani said. Many have since registered and CPPA plans to publish a list of registrants in March, he said. Staff is preparing a proposed rulemaking package including cybersecurity risk assessments, automated decision-making technology for the next board meeting, said Soltani: Staff is incorporating feedback from board members after the Dec. 8 meeting (see 2312080064). In addition, staff is writing draft language and speaking with possible legislative authors for a potential bill that would require browser vendors to let users exercise their California privacy rights through a global opt-out signal, said Maureen Mahoney, deputy director-policy and legislation. “We’re confident that we have adequate resources to effectively sponsor the bill.” CPPA's board voted at last month’s meeting to advance the legislative proposal. The board considered a draft 2024-27 strategic plan with the mission statement: “Protect consumers’ privacy, ensure that businesses and consumers are well-informed about their rights and obligations, and vigorously enforce the law against businesses that violate consumers’ privacy rights.”