California Lawmaker Files Affordable Broadband Legislation Similar to NY
The Institute for Local Self Reliance is hosting a forum – 'Consider Affordable Broadband State-By-State' – on Monday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Sean Gonsalves

With New York’s Affordable Broadband Act (ABA) now in effect, lawmakers in other states are filing similar legislation that requires large Internet Service Providers to offer low-cost plans for financially-strapped households in their respective states.
In Massachusetts, State Sen. Pavel Payano filed a bill earlier this month similar to New York’s law that seeks to establish a $15/month plan for low-income households in the Bay State.
Then, earlier this week, California Assemblymember Tasha Boerner introduced Assembly Bill 353 that would mandate ISPs “make affordable home Internet plans available to California residents,” Boerner’s office said in a press release.

“Right now, families are struggling to afford essential services, like the Internet,” Boerner said in a press statement.
Speaking to why passing an affordable broadband law was important, Boerner put it in plain terms, noting that “households in our state don’t have support to pay for a basic home Internet service plan. We are talking about kids not being able to do homework at home, parents having to go to libraries to apply for jobs, and people not having access to do basic things, like telehealth.”
“As the Chair of the Communications & Conveyance Committee, I have supported legislation to address broadband affordability, but none of those bills have been signed into law. AB 353 will ensure all California’s families can connect to the Internet,” Boerner added.
In its current form, the California bill doesn’t yet have specifics on how much the low-cost plan would cost subscribers, what the connection speeds would be, or what formula the state would use to define eligibility or exemptions.
However, the foundation of bill is linked to California’s existing Digital Equity Bill of Rights and is based on “the principle of the state to ensure digital equity for all residents of the state...and that it is the policy of the state that...broadband internet subscribers benefit from equal access to broadband internet service within the service area of a broadband provider,” according to the language of the law.
“Finding the right solution for California will require thoughtful engagement and collaboration from all sides of this issue.” It will be one of my priorities to work collaboratively with my colleagues, consumer advocates, industry stakeholders, and the Governor’s office to ensure we get this solution to the finish line.”
The fight for affordable broadband state-by-state
With the US Supreme Court declining to intervene in the New York case after a US appeals court upheld the law in April 2024, California and Massachusetts are the first two of what some observers expect will be many more states that will follow New York’s lead.
California and Massachusetts are just two of the 22 states that signed onto a legal brief in support of New York’s law filed with the U.S. Supreme Court. The other states were Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.
Earlier this week, a group of Internet service providers once-again petitioned the Supreme Court to rule on the legality of the ABA in New York. But, if historical precedent is any indication, the chances of that happening are slim to none as the Court rarely reverses its decision not to intervene on a case that it had previously declined to hear. Although, experts we have talked to have noted that historical precedent has not been a great predictor for what this Supreme Court will choose to do.

In California, Boerner’s office noted that Assembly Bill 353 filed this week “comes at a pivotal time as roughly three million California households lost federal support through the Affordable Connectivity benefit in 2024” because that program, which offered income-eligible households a $30/month subsidy to pay for home Internet service, was allowed to expired in May of last year.
The work ahead will be to enhance the bill with specifics, working in collaboration with digital inclusion advocates and industry leaders across the state, as well as fending off likely political opposition given the influence that AT&T has in the state and its objection to New York’s law, which prompted the company to announce it will no longer offer its 5G home Internet service in New York.
“We applaud Assemblymember Boerner for introducing AB 353, which aims to establish a clear path for every Californian to have a fast, affordable, and reliable Internet option,” said Shayna Englin, Director of the California Community Foundation Digital Equity Initiative and member of the California Alliance for Digital Equity (CADE).
“The introduction of this bill offers the legislature an opportunity to swiftly respond to the cost-of-living crisis plaguing residents and reduce their financial burdens long-term. We look forward to working with the Assemblymember to develop and pass the legislation.”
Meanwhile, Englin is expected to join an upcoming ILSR forum – “Consider Affordable Broadband State-By-State” – on Monday at 3:30 p.m. ET as the event will focus on what New York’s affordable broadband law includes and what other states may want to consider in crafting similar legislation.
That event will be free to any interested participants and can be viewed on ILSR's YouTube channel here.
You can also find our fact sheets on the New York law here and here.
This article was published by the Institute for Local Self Reliance's Sean Gonsalvez on ILSR's web site on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, and is republished with permission. ILSR works with CADE and coalition of digital inclusion groups that are members of Digital Equity LA on digital access issues statewide.