California Assembly Passes Amendment to Strip Telecom from CPUC’s Oversight

May 21, 2026 – A proposal that could reshape telecommunications regulation in California cleared the Assembly Monday on a 67-1 vote.

The amendment would remove a requirement from the state’s Constitution to regulate telecommunications as a public utility, increase the size of the California Public Utilities Commission, and permit lawmakers to transfer telecom and broadband oversight to a new state broadband office.

Assembly Constitutional Amendment 9, authored by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner, D-Encinitas, now moves to the California Senate, where it must secure a two-thirds vote before appearing on a statewide ballot.