| 1 | 1 | | 84R7367 JXC-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: King of Hemphill H.B. No. 1618 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the period of eligibility for support from the |
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| 8 | 8 | | universal service plan for certain providers. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 56.023(p), Utilities Code, is amended to |
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| 11 | 11 | | read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (p) If an incumbent local exchange company or cooperative is |
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| 13 | 13 | | ineligible for support under a plan established under Section |
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| 14 | 14 | | 56.021(1) for services in an exchange, a plan established under |
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| 15 | 15 | | Section 56.021(1) may not provide support to any other |
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| 16 | 16 | | telecommunications providers for services in that exchange, except |
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| 17 | 17 | | that an eligible telecommunications provider that is receiving |
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| 18 | 18 | | support under Section 56.021(1)(A) in that exchange shall continue |
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| 19 | 19 | | to receive such support until the later of December 31, 2017, or the |
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| 20 | 20 | | second anniversary of [for a 24-month period following] the date |
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| 21 | 21 | | the incumbent local exchange provider or cooperative ceases |
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| 22 | 22 | | receiving support in that exchange. The support received by the |
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| 23 | 23 | | eligible telecommunications provider during that [the 24-month] |
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| 24 | 24 | | period shall be at the same monthly per line support level in effect |
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| 25 | 25 | | for that exchange as of the date the incumbent local exchange |
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| 26 | 26 | | provider or cooperative ceases receiving funding in that exchange. |
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| 27 | 27 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 28 | 28 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 29 | 29 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 30 | 30 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 31 | 31 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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