Section 276.

(a) There is hereby created the California High-Cost Fund-B Administrative Committee, which is an advisory board to advise the commission regarding the development, implementation, and administration of a program to provide for transfer payments to telephone corporations providing local exchange services in high-cost areas in the state to create fair and equitable local rate structures, as provided for in Section 739.3, the development of a grant program for the construction of telecommunications infrastructure as set forth in Section 276.5, and to carry out the program pursuant to the commission's direction, control, and approval.

(b) All revenues collected by telephone corporations in rates authorized by the commission to fund the program specified in subdivision (a) shall be submitted to the commission pursuant to a schedule established by the commission. The commission shall transfer the moneys received to the Controller for deposit in the California High-Cost Fund-B Administrative Committee Fund. All interest earned by moneys in the fund shall be deposited in the fund. Any unexpended revenues collected prior to the operative date of this section shall be submitted to the commission, and the commission shall transfer those moneys to the Controller for deposit in the California High-Cost Fund-B Administrative Committee Fund.

(c) Moneys appropriated from the California High-Cost Fund-B Administrative Committee Fund to the commission shall be utilized exclusively by the commission for the program specified in subdivision (a), including all costs of the board and the commission associated with the administration and oversight of the program and the fund.

(d) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2006.

(Amended (as added by Stats. 2001, Ch. 903, Sec. 6) by Stats. 2004, Ch. 767, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2005. Section operative January 1, 2006, by its own provisions.)