CPUC TEAM Program: Telecommunications Education and Assistance in Multiple Languages

1. The CPUC TEAM ProgramTelecommunications Education and Assistance in Multiple-languagesMay 2014 California Public Utilities Commission Self-Help for the Elderly

2. State Law Dymally Alatorre Bilingual Services Act applies language requirements to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). P.U. Codes 2890(b) and 2889.5(a)(6) provide direction directly to telecommunication companies providing notices in languages other than English. California Civil Code, Business and Profession Code and Insurance Code mandate disclosures and actions related to contracts and offer consumer protections. TEAM Advances California Lawand CPUC Orders

3. TEAM Advances California Lawand CPUC Orders CPUC Consumer Protection Initiative • Telecommunications market provides a large variety of choices and benefits for consumers, but can be confusing. • Consumers who are not fluent in English are more vulnerable to fraud. • Consumers who are new to the United States rely on and trust community organizations which speak their native language.

4. Goal: To provide in-language telecommunications education and assistance with disputes to consumers, who are non and limited English proficient. 2008 - Present

5. TEAM MEMBERS 28 CBOs 41 Languages All Limited-English Speaking California Residents

6. SOME LANGUAGES WE SPEAK Arabic Armenian Bosnian Cambodian Cantonese Cebuano Dari Hmong Ilocano Japanese Khmer Korean Lao Mandarin Native American Pashto Persian Portuguese Russian Spanish Tagalog Urdu Vietnamese

7. The contract is managed by Self-Help for the Elderly (SHE). SHE coordinates a network of community based organizations (CBOs). Telecommunications carriers are actively involved in program. California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Self-Help for the Elderly (SHE) Anni Chung Program Management Year 1: 30 CBOs (subcontractors) Year 2: 33 CBOs (subcontractors)

8. Community Based Organizations Afghan Coalition, Fremont, Dari, Farsi, Pashto, Persian, Punjabi, Urdu Alliance for African Assistance San Diego, Arabic, Burmese, and more Asian-American Resource, San Bernardino - Vietnamese, Cambodian, Hmong, Spanish and more Asian Community Ctr, Sacramento Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Hmong, Khmer, Lao Campaign for Social Justice, TarzanaArmenian, Russian, Ilocano, Dari, Pashto, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, Persian, Arabic Central Calif. Legal Service, Fresno Spanish, Hmong, Cambodian Casa Familiar San Yasidro, Spanish Centro La Familiar Advocacy Services-Fresno, Spanish Chinatown Service Cntr, Los AngelesSpanish, Cantonese, Mandarin Chinese Newcomers, San Francisco Cantonese, Mandarin Delhi Center, Santa Ana, Spanish El Concilio of San Mateo, Burlingame Spanish Ethiopian Community Services, San Jose, Amharic, Oromiffa, Tigrigna Fresno Center for New Americans Fresno: Hmong, Lao, Khmer

9. Community Based Organizations Intl. Institute of Los Angeles, Los Angeles - Spanish and Chinese Khmer Society of Fresno, Fresno Cambodian and Lao Koreatown Youth and Community Center, Los Angeles – Korean Lao Khmu Association, StocktonLao, Khmer, Hmong, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Spanish, Chinese, and Tagalog Little Tokyo Service Center, Los Angeles, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Thai Madera Coalition, Madera, Spanish Pilipino Workers Center Los Angeles, Spanish and Tagalog Milestone Consulting, TarzanaArmenian, Russian, IIocano, Dari, Pashto, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, Persian, Arabic People’s CORE, Los AngelesTagalog, Ilocano, and Cebuano Portuguese Community Ctr, San JosePortuguese Southeast Asian Center, San Francisco Vietnamese, Chinese Self Help for the Elderly, San Francisco Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Spanish, Russian Suscol Intertribal Council, Napa Native American, English Vietnamese Community of Orange County, Santa Ana - Vietnamese