Florida 2022 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H0789 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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3	3	HB 789 2022
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10	10	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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14	14	A bill to be entitled 1
15	15	An act relating to Lifeline services; amending s. 2
16	16	364.10, F.S.; removing a provision requiring eligible 3
17	17	telecommunications carriers to provide a specified 4
18	18	number of days to allow a subscriber to demonstrate 5
19	19	continued eligibility after a termination letter is 6
20	20	sent; requiring subscribers to present proof of 7
21	21	continued eligibility upon request of specified 8
22	22	entities; removing provisions that specify 9
23	23	circumstances under which a telecommunications carrier 10
24	24	must credit a consumer's bill with the Lifeline 11
25	25	Assistance credit; removing provisions specifying 12
26	26	conditions under which certain telecommunications 13
27	27	carriers and commercial mobile radio service providers 14
28	28	may or must provide Lifeline services to specified 15
29	29	customers; removing the Department of Education and 16
30	30	the Office of Public Counsel from being entities with 17
31	31	whom state agencies must cooperate in developing 18
32	32	procedures to promote Lifeline participation; 19
33	33	providing that certain information is exempt as well 20
34	34	as confidential; revising procedures that state 21
35	35	agencies must use in determining a person's 22
36	36	eligibility for a Lifeline qualifying program; 23
37	37	amending s. 364.107, F.S.; authorizing certain 24
38	38	confidential and exempt information to be released to 25
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40	40	HB 789 2022
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47	47	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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51	51	the Federal Communications Commission or designee; 26
52	52	providing an effective date. 27
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54	54	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 29
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56	56	Section 1. Paragraphs (e) and (f) of subsection (1) and 31
57	57	subsection (2) of section 364.10, Florida Statutes, are amended 32
58	58	to read: 33
59	59	364.10 Lifeline service. — 34
60	60	(1) 35
61	61	(e)1. An eligible telec ommunications carrier must notify a 36
62	62	Lifeline subscriber of impending termination of Lifeline service 37
63	63	if the company has a reasonable basis for believing that the 38
64	64	subscriber no longer qualifies for the service. Notification of 39
65	65	pending termination must be in the form of a letter that is 40
66	66	separate from the subscriber's bill. 41
67	67	2. An eligible telecommunications carrier shall allow a 42
68	68	subscriber 60 days following the date of the pending termination 43
69	69	letter to demonstrate continued eligibility. The subscriber must 44
70	70	present proof of continued eligibility upon request of the 45
71	71	eligible telecommunications carrier or the Federal 46
72	72	Communications Commission or its designee . An eligible 47
73	73	telecommunications carrier may transfer a subscriber off of 48
74	74	Lifeline service, pursuant to it s tariff, if the subscriber 49
75	75	fails to demonstrate continued eligibility. 50
76	76
77	77	HB 789 2022
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84	84	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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88	88	3. The commission shall establish procedures for such 51
89	89	notification and termination. 52
90	90	(f) An eligible telecommunications carrier shall timely 53
91	91	credit a consumer's bill with the Lifeli ne Assistance credit as 54
92	92	soon as practicable, but no later than 60 days following receipt 55
93	93	of notice of eligibility from the Office of Public Counsel or 56
94	94	proof of eligibility from the consumer . 57
95	95	(2)(a) Each local exchange telecommunications company that 58
96	96	has more than 1 million access lines and that is designated as 59
97	97	an eligible telecommunications carrier shall, and any commercial 60
98	98	mobile radio service provider designated as an eligible 61
99	99	telecommunications carrier pursuant to 47 U.S.C. s. 214(e) may, 62
100	100	upon filing a notice of election to do so with the commission, 63
101	101	provide Lifeline service to any otherwise eligible customer or 64
102	102	potential customer who meets an income eligibility test at 150 65
103	103	percent or less of the federal poverty income guidelines for 66
104	104	Lifeline customers. Such a test for eligibility must augment, 67
105	105	rather than replace, the eligibility standards established by 68
106	106	federal law and based on participation in certain low -income 69
107	107	assistance programs. Each intrastate interexchange 70
108	108	telecommunications company shall file or publish a schedule 71
109	109	providing at a minimum the intrastate interexchange 72
110	110	telecommunications company's current Lifeline benefits and 73
111	111	exemptions to Lifeline customers who meet the income eligibility 74
112	112	test set forth in this subsection. The Office of Public Co unsel 75
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121	121	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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125	125	shall certify and maintain claims submitted by a customer for 76
126	126	eligibility under the income test authorized by this subsection. 77
127	127	(a)(b) Each eligible telecommunications carrier subject to 78
128	128	this subsection shall provide to each state and federal agency 79
129	129	providing benefits to persons eligible for Lifeline service 80
130	130	applications, brochures, pamphlets, or other materials that 81
131	131	inform the persons of their eligibility for Lifeline, and each 82
132	132	state agency providing the benefits shall furnish the materials 83
133	133	to affected persons at the time they apply for benefits. 84
134	134	(b)(c) An eligible telecommunications carrier may not 85
135	135	discontinue basic local telecommunications service to a 86
136	136	subscriber who receives Lifeline service because of nonpayment 87
137	137	by the subscriber of charges for nonbasic services billed by the 88
138	138	telecommunications company, including long -distance service. A 89
139	139	subscriber who receives Lifeline service shall pay all 90
140	140	applicable basic local telecommunications service fees, 91
141	141	including the subscriber line charge, E -911, telephone relay 92
142	142	system charges, and applicable state and federal taxes. 93
143	143	(c)(d) An eligible telecommunications carrier may not 94
144	144	refuse to connect, reconnect, or provide Lifeline service 95
145	145	because of unpaid toll charges or nonbasic charges other than 96
146	146	basic local telecommunications service. 97
147	147	(d)(e) An eligible telecommunications carrier may require 98
148	148	that payment arrangements be made for outstanding debt 99
149	149	associated with basic local telecommunications service, 100
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158	158	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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162	162	subscriber line charges, E -911, telephone relay system ch arges, 101
163	163	and applicable state and federal taxes. 102
164	164	(e)(f) An eligible telecommunications carrier may block a 103
165	165	Lifeline service subscriber's access to all long -distance 104
166	166	service, except for toll -free numbers, and may block the ability 105
167	167	to accept collect calls if when the subscriber owes an 106
168	168	outstanding amount for long -distance service or amounts 107
169	169	resulting from collect calls. However, the eligible 108
170	170	telecommunications carrier may not impose a charge for blocking 109
171	171	long-distance service. The eligible telecommunications carrier 110
172	172	shall remove the block at the request of the subscriber without 111
173	173	additional cost to the subscriber upon payment of the 112
174	174	outstanding amount. An eligible telecommunications carrier may 113
175	175	charge a service deposit before removing the block. 114
176	176	(f)(g)1. Each state agency that provides benefits to 115
177	177	persons eligible for Lifeline service shall undertake, in 116
178	178	cooperation with the Department of Children and Families, the 117
179	179	Department of Education, the commission, the Office of Public 118
180	180	Counsel, and telecommunications co mpanies designated eligible 119
181	181	telecommunications carriers providing Lifeline services, the 120
182	182	development of procedures to promote Lifeline participation. The 121
183	183	department and departments, the commission, and the Office of 122
184	184	Public Counsel may exchange sufficient i nformation with the 123
185	185	appropriate eligible telecommunications carriers or the Federal 124
186	186	Communications Commission or its designee and any commercial 125
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195	195	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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199	199	mobile radio service provider electing to provide Lifeline 126
200	200	service under paragraph (a) , such as a person's name , date of 127
201	201	birth, service address, and telephone number, so that eligible 128
202	202	customers can be enrolled the carriers can identify and enroll 129
203	203	an eligible person in the Lifeline and Link -Up programs. The 130
204	204	information remains confidential and exempt pursuant to s. 131
205	205	364.107 and may only be used for purposes of determining 132
206	206	eligibility and enrollment in the Lifeline and Link -Up programs. 133
207	207	2. If any state agency determines that a person is 134
208	208	eligible for a Lifeline qualifying program Lifeline services, 135
209	209	the agency must coordinate with the Federal Communications 136
210	210	Commission or its designee to verify eligibility for the 137
211	211	Lifeline program shall immediately forward the information to 138
212	212	the commission to ensure that the person is automatically 139
213	213	enrolled in the program with the approp riate eligible 140
214	214	telecommunications carrier. The state agency shall include an 141
215	215	option for an eligible customer to choose not to subscribe to 142
216	216	the Lifeline service. The Public Service Commission and the 143
217	217	Department of Children and Families shall adopt rules cre ating 144
218	218	procedures to automatically enroll eligible customers in 145
219	219	Lifeline service. 146
220	220	3. The commission, the Department of Children and 147
221	221	Families, the Office of Public Counsel, and each eligible 148
222	222	telecommunications carrier offering Lifeline and Link -Up 149
223	223	services shall convene a Lifeline Workgroup to discuss how the 150
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232	232	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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236	236	eligible subscriber information in subparagraph 1. will be 151
237	237	shared, the obligations of each party with respect to the use of 152
238	238	that information, and the procedures to be implemented to 153
239	239	increase enrollment and verify eligibility in these programs. 154
240	240	(g)(h) The commission shall report to the Governor, the 155
241	241	President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of 156
242	242	Representatives by December 31 each year on the number of 157
243	243	customers who are subscribing to Lifelin e service and the 158
244	244	effectiveness of any procedures to promote participation. 159
245	245	(h)(i) The commission may undertake appropriate measures 160
246	246	to inform low-income consumers of the availability of the 161
247	247	Lifeline and Link-Up programs. 162
248	248	(i)(j) The commission shall ad opt rules to administer this 163
249	249	section. 164
250	250	Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 364.107, Florida 165
251	251	Statutes, is amended to read: 166
252	252	364.107 Public records exemption; Lifeline Assistance Plan 167
253	253	participants.— 168
254	254	(2) Information made confidential and exempt under 169
255	255	subsection (1) may be released to the applicable 170
256	256	telecommunications carrier or the Federal Communications 171
257	257	Commission or its designee for purposes directly connected with 172
258	258	eligibility for, verification related to, or auditing of a 173
259	259	Lifeline Assistance Plan. 174
260	260	Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 175