New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signed an FY 2021 budget with $500,000 for the Civic Information Consortium (see 2008250061, Free Press said Wednesday.

Anthem agreed to a $39.5 million settlement with 43 states for the health insurer’s 2014 data breach involving information of nearly 80 million Americans (see 1502050030), state attorneys general said Wednesday. Anthem agreed to strengthen data security and governance practices, including a prohibition against misrepresenting how much it protects privacy and security of personal information. The company will implement a comprehensive security program, including zero-trust architecture principles and regular reporting to the board and CEO, and will receive third-party security assessments and audits for three years. It's glad to resolve the last open investigation related to the cyberattack, the company said: “Anthem does not believe it violated the law in connection with its data security and is not admitting to any such violations.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) should call back the legislature for a special session to close the digital divide, the Electronic Frontier Foundation said Tuesday with Common Sense Kids Action and about 50 California organizations and officials. A broadband bill the groups supported stalled at the finish line in the Assembly; SB-1130 would have increased the state internet speed standard to 25 Mbps symmetrical (see 2008310034).

The Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee scheduled a virtual meeting Oct. 29-30, starting at 11 a.m. EDT each day, the FCC said Tuesday. BDAC will vote on reports and recommendations from the Increasing Broadband Investment in Low-Income Communities, Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Job Skills and Training Opportunities, and Disaster Response and Recovery working groups.

The California Public Utilities Commission should pump the brakes on state LifeLine changes until the FCC resolves federal Lifeline minimum service standards (MSS), the National Lifeline Association commented Thursday in CPUC docket R.20-02-008. Many at the federal agency seek to freeze MSS at 3 GB and oppose an FCC plan to raise MSS to 4.5 GB monthly; it would increase to 11.75 GB on Dec. 1 otherwise (see 2009150072). NaLA raised legal concerns with the CPUC’s proposal, saying it’s “likely to be challenged in federal court because it breaks with the Commission’s own precedent and mandates that the wireless Basic and Standard Plans be provided to California LifeLine participants for free in violation of Section 332(c)(3) of the Communications Act.” Federal law bans state commissions from setting wireless Lifeline co-payments, TracFone commented. Requiring free services is prohibited rate regulation, said the company, being bought by Verizon. The CPUC Public Advocates Office praised the agency’s plan to include wireline broadband service in LifeLine. "Given more than six months have passed since the start of the pandemic and many Californians may be in need of affordable broadband options to perform these essential activities, Cal Advocates urges the Commission to implement the [proposed decision's] interim rules swiftly and with urgency.” The California Emergency Technology Fund agreed. Frontier Communications raised concerns the proposal recommends replacing only $2 of a $4 monthly federal funding reduction coming in December. “This proposal will result in rate increases of up to $2.00 and harm low-income consumers at a time when they are most vulnerable from the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing financial crisis.”

A small-cells bill cleared the South Carolina legislature Thursday and goes to Gov. Henry McMaster (R). The House voted 104-1 to concur with Senate amendments and pass H-4262, preempting local governments. The Senate voted 32-6 for the amended bill Wednesday. The Municipal Association of South Carolina supports the bill, emailed Director-Advocacy Scott Slatton, citing “productive and amiable” talks with AT&T. Amendments reflected the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ August ruling on FCC orders, Slatton said. Legislators broadened the bill’s aesthetic requirements to cover more parts of a city and “removed the ‘no more burdensome’ language that prevented cities from placing more stringent regulations on small cells than other infrastructure in the right-of-way,” he said. McMaster has five days to sign or veto, or it becomes law, Slatton said. The governor didn’t comment by our deadline. Wireless Infrastructure Association CEO Jonathan Adelstein noted it's the 30th state to pass a small-cells law. The House originally passed the plan in April 2019; COVID-19 delayed senators' voting (see 2003200042).

State small-cells laws remain necessary even after last month’s 9th U.S. Circuit Court decision, said Verizon General Counsel-South Region State Government Affairs Dulaney O’Roark on a Wednesday webinar by New York state and New Jersey wireless associations. The 9th Circuit mostly upheld the FCC’s 2018 wireless infrastructure orders on small cells and moratoriums (see 2008120048). The FCC was “extremely helpful,” but state laws provide additional and more detailed rules that lead to more deployment, including hard caps on rates and fees that allow providers to better predict costs, O’Roark said. New York and New Jersey need laws so industry can gain access to rights of way in difficult cities like Buffalo where talks have gone on for two years without success, the Verizon attorney said. Buffalo didn’t comment. New York proposed small-cells rules in the past two budgets, but local governments convinced legislators to remove them each year; now, industry is in talks with towns and other localities, O’Roark said: In New Jersey, industry and municipalities narrowed their differences on small-cells bills pending in committees of both chambers. Passing more state bills might take time, wireless industry officials predicted. The pandemic “has thrown a loop” into legislative schedules in most states, noted CTIA Assistant Vice President-State Legislative Affairs Beth Cooley. Industry isn’t set on passing small-cells bills this session and work will continue next year, said Wireless Infrastructure Association Senior Counsel-Government Affairs Arturo Chang.

The Pennsylvania Senate voted 48-0 for anti-spoofing legislation Monday. SB-764 follows up on an anti-robocalls measure the state enacted last year (see 2006090007). It goes next to the House.

Oregon's Public Utility Commission voted 3-0 for a formal rulemaking to adopt state USF changes implementing an Oregon law (SB-603) requiring VoIP and wireless contribution to state USF (see 2009020005). Commissioners agreed with staff’s recommendation at a teleconference Tuesday.

Washington, D.C.’s new additional area code is 771. It will overlay the entire 202 code, the D.C. Public Service Commission said Tuesday (see 2009220002). The PSC confirmed a 13-month implementation schedule, including six months for network preparation, six months of customer education and one month -- after a permissive dialing period ends -- when 10-digit dialing becomes mandatory. The agency established a working group to educate consumers and asked that interested participants request to join by Oct. 16. “The 202 area code has been part of D.C. culture for over 50 years and it is not going away,” said Chairman Willie Phillips. “However, we stand ready to assist in a smooth transition to the added 771 area code.” Commissioners voted 2-0 last week to approve the request by the North American Numbering Plan administrator for the overlay and required 10-digit dialing (see 2009160080). "After the working group convenes, the implementation schedule with dates will be finalized and posted for the public," a PSC spokesperson emailed. "This will include the start date as well as when 771 will become available." The overlay may be one of the most significant in years for major metropolitan areas and could lead to a secondary market for 202 numbers, we reported last week. NANPA projected that without relief, numbers in the current D.C. area code would run out in Q3 2022.