House Study Bill 65 - Introduced SENATE/HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED UTILITIES COMMISSION BILL) A BILL FOR An Act relating to rate-regulated utilities, including 1 telecommunications and electronic transmission services. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1450XD (3) 91 sb/js
S.F. _____ H.F. _____ Section 1. Section 476.91, Code 2025, is amended to read as 1 follows: 2 476.91 Alternative operator Telecommunication services for 3 incarcerated persons . 4 1. Definitions. As used in this section , unless the context 5 otherwise requires: 6 a. Alternative operator services company means a 7 nongovernmental company which receives more than half of 8 its Iowa intrastate telecommunications services revenues 9 from calls placed by end-user customers from telephones 10 other than ordinary residence or business telephones. The 11 definition is further limited to include only companies which 12 provide operator assistance, either through live or automated 13 intervention, on calls placed from other than ordinary 14 residence or business telephones, and does not include services 15 provided under contract to rate-regulated local exchange 16 utilities. 17 b. Contracting entity means an entity providing telephones 18 other than ordinary residence or business telephones for use 19 by end-user customers which has contracted with an alternative 20 operator services company to provide telecommunications 21 services to those telephones. 22 c. End-user customer means a person who places a local or 23 toll call. 24 d. Other than ordinary residence or business telephones 25 means telephones other than the residence or business 26 telephones of the customary users of the telephones, including 27 but not limited to pay telephones and telephones in motel, 28 hotel, hospital, and college dormitory rooms. 29 a. Correctional facility means a county jail, municipal 30 holding facility, secure facility for the detention or 31 custody of juveniles, community-based correctional facility, 32 institution under the management of the department of 33 corrections, or other similar private, local, state, or 34 federally operated institutions, whether operated within this 35 -1- LSB 1450XD (3) 91 sb/js 1/ 4
S.F. _____ H.F. _____ state or another state. 1 b. Incarcerated person calling service means a service 2 that allows incarcerated persons to make calls to individuals 3 outside the correctional facility where the incarcerated person 4 is being held, regardless of the technology used to deliver the 5 service. 6 2. Jurisdiction. Notwithstanding any finding by the 7 commission that a service or facility is subject to competition 8 and should be deregulated pursuant to section 476.1 , all 9 intrastate telecommunications services provided by alternative 10 operator services companies to end-user customers, using 11 other than ordinary residence or business telephones, 12 All incarcerated person calling services are subject to 13 the jurisdiction of the commission and shall be rendered 14 pursuant to tariffs approved by the commission. Alternative 15 operator services companies Incarcerated person calling 16 service providers shall be subject to all requirements and 17 sanctions provided in this chapter . Contracting entities 18 Correctional facilities shall be subject to the requirements 19 of any commission regulations concerning telecommunications 20 services provided by alternative operator services companies 21 incarcerated persons calling service providers . 22 3. Requirements. The commission shall adopt and enforce 23 requirements for the provision of services by alternative 24 operator services companies and contracting entities 25 incarcerated person calling service providers to correctional 26 facilities . 27 4. Billing by local exchange utilities. Notwithstanding 28 any finding by the commission that a service or facility is 29 subject to competition and should be deregulated pursuant 30 to section 476.1 , a regulated local exchange utility shall 31 not perform billing and collection functions relating 32 to regulated telecommunications services provided by an 33 alternative operator services company, unless the alternative 34 operator services company has filed a statement with the local 35 -2- LSB 1450XD (3) 91 sb/js 2/ 4
S.F. _____ H.F. _____ exchange utility signed by a corporate officer, or other 1 authorized person having personal knowledge, that all regulated 2 telecommunications services to be billed shall be rendered 3 pursuant to tariffs approved by the commission. 4 Sec. 2. Section 478.7, Code 2025, is amended to read as 5 follows: 6 478.7 Form of franchise. 7 The general counsel for the utilities commission shall 8 prepare a blank form of A franchise , which issued pursuant to 9 this chapter shall provide space for a general description 10 of the improvement authorized, the name and address of the 11 person or corporation to whom granted, the general terms and 12 conditions upon which the franchise is granted, and other 13 things information as necessary. This blank form shall be 14 filled out and signed by the chairperson of the utilities 15 commission which grants the franchise, and the official seal 16 shall be attached. The franchise is subject to regulations and 17 restrictions as the general assembly prescribes, and to rules, 18 not inconsistent with statutes, as the utilities commission may 19 establish. 20 EXPLANATION 21 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 22 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 23 This bill relates to telecommunications and electronic 24 transmission services. 25 Under current law, Code section 476.91 pertains to 26 all alternative operator services. Alternative operator 27 services companies are currently defined as nongovernmental 28 companies that receive more than half of their Iowa intrastate 29 telecommunications services revenues from calls placed 30 by end-user customers from telephones other than ordinary 31 residence or business telephones. The definition is further 32 limited to include only companies which provide operator 33 assistance, either through live or automated intervention, on 34 calls placed from other than ordinary residence or business 35 -3- LSB 1450XD (3) 91 sb/js 3/ 4
S.F. _____ H.F. _____ telephones, and does not include services provided under 1 contract to rate-regulated local exchange utilities. 2 The bill revises the scope of alternative operator services 3 regulation by limiting its application only to incarcerated 4 person calling services. The bill removes and adds definitions 5 and makes corresponding changes in the Code section to conform 6 to this revision. 7 The bill amends the requirements for forms required by 8 persons seeking an electric transmission line franchise. Under 9 current law, a form prepared by the general counsel of the Iowa 10 utilities commission must be filled out, signed by the chair 11 of the commission, and have a seal attached. The bill removes 12 the form, chair signature, and official seal requirements from 13 this process. The information required on the form must still 14 be provided to the commission, including a general description 15 of the improvement authorized, the name and address of the 16 person or corporation to whom granted, the general terms and 17 conditions upon which the franchise is granted, and other 18 information as necessary. 19 -4- LSB 1450XD (3) 91 sb/js 4/ 4