In 2019, the CPUC established the Program to assist utility subscribers (including residential and small business – five lines or less - telecommunications and interconnected VoIP service subscribers) who are impacted by declared states of emergency, to receive assistance in the way of utility concessions during declared states of emergency. The declared states of emergency have included wildfires and most recently the national COVID-19 Pandemic state of emergency declaration. Communications service providers are to implement the emergency disaster relief program upon a declared state of emergency by the governor of California or the president of the United States when a disaster has either resulted in the loss or disruption of the delivery or receipt of utility service, or resulted in the degradation of the quality of utility service. The mandated customer protections become effective on the date such declaration of emergency is made and conclude no sooner than twelve (12) months from the date of the original emergency proclamation, or as appropriately determined by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Communications service providers are encouraged to do more to support customers and thus, are not barred from implementing additional assistance programs of their own to augment the protections these rules provide.
