A new state task force will develop procedures and best practices for cable and utility outage notifications, the West Virginia Public Service Commission said Wednesday. The task force will first meet June 14. It must make final recommendations to the PSC in 60 days, the agency said. The PSC decided to make the task force after receiving information about current notification procedures by Altice, Frontier Communications and several utilities, according to the order in case 24-0338-G-W-E-CTV-GI. “The respondents use varying methods such as door hangers, telephone calls, e-mails, text messages, website, and/or social media posts to notify customers of outages.”
South Carolina will require age verification as a method of keeping kids younger than 18 off pornographic websites. Gov. Henry McMaster (R) signed HB-3424 Tuesday after the legislature passed the bill May 9 (see 2405100014).
Two California social media bills advanced through their originating chambers Monday. The Senate voted 35-2 to pass a bill (SB-976) by Sen. Nancy Skinner (D) that would provide social media controls for parents, including the ability to decide whether their children see a chronological news feed or one based on an algorithm, the current default. Also, the bill would let parents stop social media notifications and block access to platforms overnight and during the school day. Attorney General Rob Bonta (D), who had proposed the bill (see 2401300049), applauded Senate passage in a statement. “Our children and teens are experiencing a public health crisis, caused by social media companies in their thirst for profits,” said Bonta. “In California, we take mental health seriously, we take children’s online safety seriously -- and we know that we don’t have a minute to waste to protect our kids.” The Assembly voted 65-0 for AB-3172, which would make big social media platforms liable for damages and other legal remedies “if the platform fails to exercise ordinary care or skill toward a child.” It goes next to the Senate, while SB-976 goes to the Assembly.
Minnesota will prohibit junk fees through legislation that Gov. Tim Walz (D) signed Monday. The governor signed HB-3438, which passed the legislature last week (see 2405160033). CTIA had opposed the bill for not exempting the wireless industry. The law will require that the full price of a product, including all mandatory fees, is disclosed at the start of the transaction and in ads. “This bill is going to protect Minnesotans’ bottom line, provide clarity for consumers, and ensure companies aren’t using deceptive practices to rip their customers off,” said Walz. CTIA declined to comment.
An objector to Consolidated Communications’ deal with Condor Holdings withdrew from the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission’s review in docket DT 23-103. New Hampshire Electric Cooperative said Monday that it entered into a confidential settlement with Consolidated “that addresses NHEC’s concerns with neither party admitting any fault or wrongdoing.” The co-op earlier complained that Consolidated didn’t devote enough resources to its joint-use poles relationship with NHEC. Charter Communications last month sought conditions on Consolidated’s transfer of indirect ownership and control of its local subsidiaries to Condor, a subsidiary of private equity firm Searchlight (see 2404290007).
Idaho’s telecom relay services surcharge will increase 2 cents, to 7 cents per line, the Idaho Public Utilities Commission said Friday. The PUC kept the current long distance rate at one-tenth of a cent per minute. “This allows the per minute rate, which appears to be contributing to the fund in a sustainable manner, to remain unchanged while taking a measured step toward sustainability by increasing the per line rate to $0.07,” the Idaho PUC said.
New York state’s comprehensive privacy bill advanced Tuesday. At a livestreamed Senate Internet and Technology Committee meeting, a majority of the seven-member panel supported sending S-365 by Consumer Protection Committee Chair Kevin Thomas (D) to the Finance Committee. One member voted no and another voted “aye without recommendation.” The privacy bill passed the full Senate last year, but because the Assembly didn’t consider it in 2023, the bill returned to the Senate Jan. 3 (see 2402060028). The panel also advanced a bill (S-4377) requiring websites that collect Social Security numbers to post “clear and conspicuous notice on the homepage … about its privacy policy.” Nobody voted no on that bill, though one member supported it without recommendation. It will go to the floor.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin approved a kids’ privacy bill after the Democrat-controlled legislature rejected his suggested changes. Legislators last month balked at the Republican governor’s proposed amendment to cross-filed bills HB-707 and SB-361. Youngkin sought to add language related to the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (see 2404180037). With his signature Friday, the kids’ privacy bill will take effect Jan. 1.
Minnesota legislators supported net neutrality, data privacy, social media and broadband labor proposals before they adjourned Monday. Gov. Tim Walz (D) will next consider various omnibuses that include the proposed rules. The House voted 70-58 Friday to pass a commerce omnibus (SF-4097), which included net neutrality and social media disclosure proposals that cleared the Senate earlier last week (see 2405160033). On Saturday, the House voted 72-59 to pass a transportation and labor package (HF-5242) including industry-opposed broadband safety rules (see 2405070043). On Sunday, the House voted 70-11 to pass another commerce package (SF-4942), which included language from a comprehensive privacy bill (see 2405100047). Lawmakers passed the House’s broader version of the labor proposal, which includes a controversial provision allowing the state to prioritize broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) and other internet funding for contractors that pay prevailing wage and meet other standards. Senate Labor Committee Chair Jen McEwen (D), who sponsored the Senate's original bill, expects Walz to sign, her spokesperson said Monday. McEwen said she’s “very pleased” the legislature passed the proposal that “will improve worker safety and reduce interruptions to public utilities.” Minnesota Telecom Alliance CEO Brent Christensen, who opposed the labor proposal, told us a veto is unlikely since the governor’s staff was heavily involved in getting the bill passed. Christensen called the net neutrality measure "a really bad bill that didn’t need to happen." The state Commerce Department, which would investigate complaints, doesn't have the right skills to "determine what is a violation and what is normal traffic management," he said. "Any net neutrality action should come from the feds, not individual states." The privacy bill mostly looks like Washington state’s model, which was adopted in states like Virginia and Connecticut, “but with some significant and unique variations,” Husch Blackwell privacy attorney David Stauss blogged Sunday. Differences include “a novel right to question the result of a profiling decision, privacy policy provisions that increase interoperability with existing state laws, and new privacy program requirements such as a requirement for controllers to maintain a data inventory,” he said.
Maryland awarded $19.6 million to extend broadband to about 2,400 unserved households, said Gov. Wes Moore (D) on Friday. Funded by the U.S. Treasury’s Capital Projects Fund, the awards will help the state broadband office “partner with local governments and internet service providers to close critical, 'home stretch' gaps in their broadband infrastructure to provide that essential access for unserved homes in their communities,” said Jake Day, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development secretary.