Committee advances bill to create Department of Broadband and Digital Equity and 11-member commission

AB 693, a bill to establish a Department of Broadband and Digital Equity and an 11‑member Broadband and Digital Equity Commission, received a do-pass recommendation from the Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee and was referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

The bill would consolidate broadband and digital equity programs currently split between the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the California Department of Technology (CDT) into a single state department, to take effect July 1, 2027. The measure also creates an 11‑member commission composed of industry, community, nonprofit, labor and tribal representatives; the commission would have authority over grant funding, infrastructure investments and departmental decisions.

In presenting the bill, the sponsor said the consolidation is intended to reduce friction and delays that have arisen from split agency responsibilities. “To solve the structural problems, we need a structural solution, and that's what exactly AB 693 is about,” the presenter said, describing persistent issues including difficult public participation, confusing decision-making procedures and poor interagency coordination that have, in their view, produced funding and project delays.

Committee members questioned the sponsor on commission composition and geographic representation. The sponsor said the commission would prioritize a balance of industry, community, nonprofit and labor representation within the 11 seats and indicated openness to discussing regional allocation but cautioned that specifying detailed geographic quotas for an 11‑member commission can be complicated.

Members raised concerns about redundancy and asked whether the consolidation would be revenue neutral; the sponsor said AB 693 would reassign existing broadband staff and programs from CPUC and CDT into the new department rather than create wholly separate duplicative agencies.

The committee recorded a 9–1 final vote in favor of moving AB 693 to Appropriations; Assemblymember Castillo was recorded as the lone no. Supporters at the hearing included the Los Angeles County Office of Education. The bill summary presented to the committee sets the department start date as July 1, 2027.

Votes at a glance: motion to do pass AB 693 (mover: Assemblymember Aarons; second: Assemblymember Bonta) — outcome: passed; tally: 9 ayes, 1 no.

If advanced by Appropriations and enacted, the bill would require additional implementation details about transfer of staff, budget and rulemaking to be resolved in later stages of the legislative process.