Communications: lifeline telephone service program.

Assembly Member Valencia's privacy protection measure for California's Universal Lifeline Telephone Service program prohibits the Public Utilities Commission, program administrators, and service providers from sharing applicant or subscriber information with government agencies or immigration authorities without a court order. The legislation establishes that while social security numbers may be requested during the application process, they cannot be required for program participation.

The bill modifies existing telecommunications privacy law by explicitly defining "lawful process" as actions pursuant to court-ordered subpoenas or judicial warrants. It permits the use of aggregated, anonymized program data for analysis and reporting purposes, while maintaining restrictions on sharing individual subscriber information. The measure allows limited data sharing between public agencies solely for verifying program eligibility.

Under the legislation, violations constitute a criminal offense as part of the Public Utilities Act. The bill specifies that local agencies will not receive state reimbursement for any costs incurred from these new requirements, as they relate to modifications of existing criminal statutes under California law.