Assembly BillIntroducedBusiness and Professions
AB 2680: Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program: certification.
What AB 2680 does, verified April 14, 2026
This bill aims to amend the certification requirements for individuals with disabilities to participate in a telecommunications program. The program provides specialized telephone equipment and access to speech-generating devices at no additional cost to subscribers who are deaf or hard of hearing. The certification requirements for these programs are currently held by licensed physicians, surgeons, audiologists, and optometrists, but the bill would remove these requirements. This change would make it easier for individuals with disabilities to access the program. The bill also notes that violating the commission's actions implementing the bill's requirements would be a crime, and therefore, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
Bill journey
1IntroducedCurrent
2In CommitteePending
3First Chamber FloorPending
4Second ChamberPending
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author. (2026-04-13)Alert me
Author and sponsors
Full contact details, staff, and committees with Connect, $16/moUnlockRecent actions6 total · showing 5
| Apr. 13, 2026 | In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author. |
| Mar. 23, 2026 | Re-referred to Com. on C. & C. |
| Mar. 19, 2026 | From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on C. & C. Read second time and amended. |
| Mar. 19, 2026 | Referred to Com. on C. & C. |
| Feb. 21, 2026 | From printer. May be heard in committee March 23. |
Latest bill textAmended version, March 19, 2026 · 2,085 words
| Amended IN Assembly March 19, 2026 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 2680
| Introduced by Assembly Member Arambula |
February 20, 2026 |
An act to amend Section 3502.2 of the Business and Professions Code, and to amend Section 9501 2881 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to energy. communications.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2680, as amended, Arambula. Local publicly owned energy utilities: low-income weatherization programs. Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program: certification.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. Existing law requires the commission to design and implement a program to provide a telecommunications device capable of serving the needs of individuals who are deaf or hearing impaired, together with a single party line, at no charge additional to the basic exchange rate, to any subscriber who is certified as an individual who is deaf or hearing impaired by a licensed physician and surgeon, audiologist, or a qualified state or federal agency, as determined by the commission. Existing law also authorizes a physician assistant or nurse practitioner to certify the needs of an individual who has been diagnosed by a physician and surgeon as being deaf or hard of hearing to participate in the program after reviewing the medical records or copies of the medical records containing that diagnosis.
Existing law additionally requires the commission to design and implement a program whereby specialized or supplemental telephone communications equipment may be provided to a subscriber who is certified to be disabled at no charge additional to the basic exchange rate. Existing law requires that the certification, including a statement of visual or medical need for specialized telecommunications equipment, be provided by a licensed optometrist, physician and surgeon, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner, acting within the scope of practice of the applicable license, or by a qualified state or federal agency as determined by the commission.
Existing law additionally requires the commission to design and implement a program to provide access to a speech-generating device to a subscriber who is certified as having a speech disability at no charge additional to the basic exchange rate. Existing law requires that the certification be provided by a licensed physician, licensed speech-language pathologist, nurse practitioner, or qualified state or federal agency.
This bill would remove all of the above-described certification requirements for a subscriber and would make conforming changes.
Under existing law, a violation of an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime.
Because a violation of a commission action implementing the bill’s requirements would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical and gas corporations, while local publicly owned electric and gas utilities are under the direction of their governing boards. Existing law requires each local publicly owned electric or gas utility that provides the energy for space heating for low-income customers to also provide home weatherization services for those customers if a significant need for those services exists in the utility’s service territory, taking into consideration certain factors. Existing law requires each local publicly owned electric or gas utility to develop and implement its low-income weatherization program in consultation with gas and electrical corporations and the Department of Community Services and Development to avoid duplication and to ensure the most efficient use of public and private resources.
This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to the latter requirement.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 3502.2 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:3502.2.
Notwithstanding any otherSEC. 2.
Section 2881 of the Public Utilities Code is amended to read:2881.
(a) The commission shall design and implement a program to provide a telecommunications device capable of serving the needs of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, together with a single party line, at no charge additional to the basic exchange rate, to a subscriber who is(b) The commission shall also design and implement a program to provide a dual-party relay system, using third-party intervention to connect individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and offices of organizations representing individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, as determined and specified by the commission pursuant to subdivision (h), with persons of normal hearing by way of intercommunications devices for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and the telephone system, making available reasonable access of all phases of public telephone service to telephone subscribers who are deaf or hard of hearing. In order to make a dual-party relay system that will meet the requirements of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing available at a reasonable cost, the commission shall initiate an investigation, conduct public hearings to determine the most cost-effective method of providing dual-party relay service to the deaf or hard of hearing when using a telecommunications device, and solicit the advice, counsel, and physical assistance of statewide nonprofit consumer organizations of the deaf, during the development and implementation of the system. The commission shall apply for certification of this program under rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission pursuant to Section 401 of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-336).
(c) The commission shall also design and implement a program whereby specialized or supplemental telephone communications equipment may be provided to subscribers who are certified to be disabled at no charge additional to the basic exchange rate. The certification, including a statement of visual or medical need for specialized telecommunications equipment, shall be provided by a licensed optometrist, physician and surgeon, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner, acting within the scope of practice of the applicable license, or by a qualified state or federal agency as determined by the commission. The commission shall, in this connection, study the feasibility of, and implement, if determined to be feasible, personal income criteria, in addition to the certification of disability, for determining a subscriber’s eligibility under this subdivision.
(d) (1) The commission shall also design and implement a program to provide access to a speech-generating device to any subscriber who is certified as having has a speech disability at no charge additional to the basic exchange rate. The certification shall be provided by a licensed physician, licensed speech-language pathologist, nurse practitioner, or qualified state or federal agency. The commission shall provide to a certified the subscriber access to a speech-generating device that is all of the following:
(A) A telecommunications device or a device that includes a telecommunications component.
(B) Appropriate to meet the subscriber’s needs for access to, and use of, the telephone network, based on the recommendation of a licensed speech-language pathologist. network.
(C) Consistent with the quality of speech-generating devices available for purchase in the state.
(2) The commission shall adopt rules to implement this subdivision and subdivision (e) by January 1, 2014.
(e) All of the following apply to any device or equipment described in this section that is classified as durable medical equipment under guidelines established by the United States Department of Health and Human Services:
(1) It is the intent of the Legislature that the commission be the provider of last resort and that eligible subscribers first obtain coverage from any available public or private insurance.
(2) The commission may require the subscriber to provide information about coverage for any or all of the cost of the device or equipment that is available from a public or private insurance, the cost to the subscriber of a deductible, copayment, or other relevant expense, and any related benefit cap information.
(3) The total cost of a device or equipment provided to a subscriber under this section shall not exceed the rate of reimbursement provided by Medi-Cal for that device or equipment.
(f) This section does not require the commission to provide training to a subscriber on the use of a speech-generating device.
(g) (1) The commission shall administer a surcharge to collect revenues, subject to an annual appropriation of moneys by the Legislature, to allow providers of the equipment and service specified in subdivisions (a) to (d), inclusive, to recover costs as they are incurred under this section. The surcharge shall be in effect until December 31, 2034. The commission shall require that the programs implemented under this section be identified on subscribers’ bills, and shall transfer moneys collected by the commission from the surcharge to the Controller for deposit into the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program Administrative Committee Fund.
(2) The commission may collect a sum not to exceed one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) per year by imposing the surcharge pursuant to paragraph (1).
(h) The commission shall determine and specify those statewide organizations representing the deaf or hard of hearing that shall receive a telecommunications device pursuant to subdivision (a), or a dual-party relay system pursuant to subdivision (b), or both, and in which offices the equipment shall be installed in the case of an organization having more than one office.
(i) The commission may direct a telephone corporation subject to its jurisdiction to comply with its determinations and specifications pursuant to this section.
(j) The commission may make recommendations to the Legislature regarding appropriations from the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program Administrative Committee Fund.
(k) In order to continue to meet the access needs of individuals with functional limitations of hearing, vision, movement, manipulation, speech, and interpretation of information, the commission shall perform an ongoing assessment of, and if appropriate, expand the scope of, the program to allow for additional access capability consistent with evolving telecommunications technology.
(l) The commission shall structure the programs required by this section so that a charge imposed to promote the goals of universal service reasonably equals the value of the benefits of universal service to contributing entities and their subscribers.
SEC. 3.
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.Each local publicly owned electric or gas utility shall develop and implement its low-income home weatherization program, in consultation with gas and electrical corporations and the Department of Community Services and Development, to avoid duplication and to ensure the most efficient use of public and private resources. For ratemaking purposes, gas and electrical corporation expenditures for consultation and coordination shall be recoverable from ratepayers, subject to the commission’s authority to determine the reasonableness of the amount of the expenditures.
Text of AB 2680 as amended, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions