| 1 | 1 | | 84R10274 DDT-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Hughes H.B. No. 2437 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | relating to the amount of emergency service fees for certain |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | telecommunications providers. |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 771.071(b), Health and Safety Code, is |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | amended to read as follows: |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | (b) The amount of the fee may not exceed 50 cents a month for |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | each line. The commission shall suspend the fees established under |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | this section for the duration of any state fiscal biennium for which |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | the unencumbered balance of the 9-1-1 services fee account and the |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | anticipated revenue to be deposited to the account from fees on |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | wireless telecommunications connections imposed under Section |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | 771.0711 are sufficient to pay for all of the appropriations from |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | that account. The commission may reinstate its imposition of the |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | fees under this section if the commission anticipates that in the |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | next succeeding state fiscal biennium the unencumbered balance of |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | the 9-1-1 services fee account will not otherwise be sufficient to |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | pay for all of the appropriations from that account. |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 2. Sections 771.0711(a) and (b), Health and Safety |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | Code, are amended to read as follows: |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | (a) To provide for automatic number identification and |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | automatic location identification of wireless 9-1-1 calls, the |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | commission shall impose on each wireless telecommunications |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | connection a 9-1-1 emergency service fee in an amount determined by |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | the commission to be sufficient, when considered together with the |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | anticipated revenue from the 9-1-1 emergency service fees imposed |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | under Section 771.071, to fund all entities in this state that |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | provide emergency communications services but not more than 50 |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | cents a month for each connection. A political subdivision may not |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | impose another fee on a wireless service provider or subscriber for |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | 9-1-1 emergency service. |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | (b) A wireless service provider shall collect the fee [in an |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | amount equal to 50 cents a month] for each wireless |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | telecommunications connection from its subscribers and shall pay |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | the money collected to the comptroller not later than the 30th day |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | after the last day of the month during which the fees were |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | collected. The comptroller may establish alternative dates for |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | payment of fees under this section. The wireless service provider |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | may retain an administrative fee of one percent of the amount |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | collected. The comptroller shall deposit the money from the fees to |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | the credit of the 9-1-1 services fee account. Until deposited to |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | the credit of the 9-1-1 services fee account as required by |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | Subsection (c), money the comptroller collects under this |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | subsection remains in a trust fund with the state treasury. |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
|---|