(a) Notwithstanding any other law, on and after January 1, 2016, the authority of a city, county, or city and county, which includes a charter city, county, or city and county, to impose a charge, that applies to prepaid mobile telephony service, for access to communication services or access to local “911” emergency telephone systems in the city, county, or city and county at the rate as specified in an ordinance is suspended, and the rate to be applied instead during that period under any ordinance as so adopted is the applicable of the following:

(1) In the case of a city, county, or city and county that has adopted an ordinance to impose a charge that applies to prepaid mobile telephony service for access to communication services or access to local “911” emergency telephone systems in the city, county, or city and county at the rate of less than one dollar ($1) per month per access line, including any adjustments for inflation, the rate shall be 0 percent.

(2) In the case of a city, county, or city and county that has adopted an ordinance to impose a charge that applies to prepaid mobile telephony service for access to communication services or access to local “911” emergency telephone systems in the city, county, or city and county at a specified percentage or at the rate of one dollar ($1) per month per access line, including any adjustments for inflation, or more, the rate shall be the specified percentage or the rate obtained by dividing the dollar amount by 50, rounded to the nearest one-tenth of 1 percent.

(b) Subdivision (a) is a self-executing provision that operates without regard to any decision or act on the part of any city, county, or city and county. A change in an access charge rate resulting from either the suspension of, or the termination of the suspension of, a charge adopted by a city, county, or city and county set forth in subdivision (a) is not subject to voter approval under either statute or Article XIII C of the California Constitution.

(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a city, county, or city and county may levy, increase, or extend a charge at any rate, that applies to prepaid mobile telephony services, for access to communication services or access to local “911” emergency telephone systems in the city, county, or city and county, except that during the period on and after January 1, 2016, any charge on prepaid mobile telephony service under any ordinance as so adopted shall be the applicable rate specified in subdivision (a).

(Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 885, Sec. 9. (AB 1717) Effective September 30, 2014. Repealed as of January 1, 2021, pursuant to Section 42111.)