(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, upon receiving a request pursuant to subdivision (b), the mobile internet service provider shall not impair or degrade the lawful internet traffic of a first response agency’s identified account until the earlier of either the time when the account is no longer being used by the agency in response to the emergency or the end of the emergency, subject to reasonable network management.
(b) (1) A first response agency may submit a request to a mobile internet service provider to not impair or degrade the lawful internet traffic of an account used by the agency in response to an emergency. As part of the request, the first response agency shall identify the account number and lines for the mobile internet service provider.
(2) A first response agency that submits a request pursuant to paragraph (1) shall notify the mobile internet service provider upon the account no longer being used by the agency in response to the emergency.
(c) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) “Emergency” means the existence of conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the state, or the territorial limits of a county, city and county, or city, caused by a fire, flood, storm, riot, cyberterrorism, sudden and severe energy shortage, Governor’s warning of an earthquake or volcanic prediction, earthquake, or other similar condition.
(2) “First response agencies” has the same meaning as defined in Section 8592.1 of the Government Code, and shall include fire districts.
(3) “Mobile internet service provider” has the same meaning as defined in Section 3100 of the Civil Code.
(4) “Reasonable network management” has the same meaning as defined in Section 3100 of the Civil Code.
(Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 370, Sec. 255. (SB 1371) Effective January 1, 2021.)