| 1 | 1 | | By: Hegar S.B. No. 712 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (In the Senate - Filed February 15, 2011; February 23, 2011, |
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| 3 | 3 | | read first time and referred to Committee on Business and Commerce; |
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| 4 | 4 | | May 3, 2011, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 7, |
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| 5 | 5 | | Nays 1; May 3, 2011, sent to printer.) |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | |
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| 8 | 8 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 9 | 9 | | AN ACT |
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| 10 | 10 | | relating to the administration of the universal service fund. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Section 56.021, Utilities Code, is amended to |
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| 13 | 13 | | read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 56.021. UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND ESTABLISHED. The |
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| 15 | 15 | | commission shall adopt and enforce rules requiring local exchange |
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| 16 | 16 | | companies to establish a universal service fund to: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) assist telecommunications providers in providing |
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| 18 | 18 | | basic local telecommunications service at reasonable rates in high |
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| 19 | 19 | | cost rural areas under two plans: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (A) the Texas High Cost Universal Service Plan |
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| 21 | 21 | | (16 T.A.C. Section 26.403); and |
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| 22 | 22 | | (B) the Small and Rural Incumbent Local Exchange |
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| 23 | 23 | | Company Universal Service Plan (16 T.A.C. Section 26.404); |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) reimburse the telecommunications carrier that |
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| 25 | 25 | | provides the statewide telecommunications relay access service |
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| 26 | 26 | | under Subchapter D; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (3) finance the specialized telecommunications |
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| 28 | 28 | | assistance program established under Subchapter E; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (4) reimburse the department, the Texas Commission for |
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| 30 | 30 | | the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and the commission for costs incurred |
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| 31 | 31 | | in implementing this chapter and Chapter 57; |
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| 32 | 32 | | (5) reimburse a telecommunications carrier providing |
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| 33 | 33 | | lifeline service as provided by 47 C.F.R. Part 54, Subpart E, as |
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| 34 | 34 | | amended; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (6) finance the implementation and administration of |
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| 36 | 36 | | an integrated eligibility process created under Section 17.007 for |
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| 37 | 37 | | customer service discounts relating to telecommunications |
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| 38 | 38 | | services, including outreach expenses the commission determines |
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| 39 | 39 | | are reasonable and necessary; |
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| 40 | 40 | | (7) reimburse a designated provider under Subchapter |
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| 41 | 41 | | F; |
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| 42 | 42 | | (8) reimburse a successor utility under Subchapter G; |
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| 43 | 43 | | and |
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| 44 | 44 | | (9) finance the program established under Subchapter |
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| 45 | 45 | | H. |
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| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 47 | 47 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 48 | 48 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 49 | 49 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 50 | 50 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |
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| 51 | 51 | | * * * * * |
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