The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) The number of area codes in this state has more than doubled since 1991.

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(b) The proliferation of area codes has caused undue hardship on citizens of this state, who have begun to be forced into new area codes after years of having the same telephone number.

(c) That proliferation has substantially increased costs to businesses, individuals, and government agencies.

(d) New area codes require the replacement of business cards and letterhead stationery, and companies must use employee time contacting their customers to ensure that those customers are able to continue to reach the affected company.

(e) The proliferation of area codes has also reduced worker productivity as employees begin using new and unfamiliar area codes.

(f) It is the policy of the Legislature that existing area codes should be preserved for as long as possible.

(g) It is the further policy of the Legislature that the hardship currently experienced by telecommunications customers as a result of the creation of new area codes should be alleviated.

(h) For all of the reasons stated above, it is necessary for the commission, as a public agency, to take all possible measures to protect area codes as a public resource, stop area code proliferation, and review their existing practice of establishing new area code regions and the creation of area code overlays.

(Added by Stats. 1999, Ch. 809, Sec. 2. Effective October 10, 1999.)