Nebraska 2025 2025-2026 Regular Session

Nebraska Legislature Bill LB666 Comm Sub / Analysis

Filed 02/07/2025

                    One Hundred Ninth Legislature - First Session - 2025
Introducer€s Statement of Intent
LB666
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Chairperson: Senator Mike Moser
Committee: Transportation and Telecommunications
Date of Hearing: February 11, 2025
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The following constitutes the reasons for this bill and the purposes which are sought to be
accomplished thereby:
LB666 makes a simple change to the Rural Communications Sustainability Act, which the
Legislature passed in 2023. The change allows competitive broadband providers to request
action by the Public Service Commission to transition Nebraska Universal Service Fund
(NUSF‚) support from the former incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC‚) serving
customers in a designated area to the competitive provider now serving those customers.
Under the current Act, before the competitive provider can receive NUSF support, it must
accept certain responsibilities imposed by the NUSF Act, which essentially are carrier of last
resort (COLR‚) duties. Currently, the Act allows the ILEC to initiate an action to transition
NUSF support and COLR duties. To date, no incumbent has initiated such action. LB666 will
allow competitive providers to initiate such action. Doing so will facilitate the transition of
NUSF support and ensure that customers continue to receive broadband and voice service
from a competitor that has accepted COLR duties over the long term.
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Principal Introducer:________________________________
Senator Tanya Storer
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