Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4177 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R13215 JXC-F
2	2	By: Cook H.B. No. 4177
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to adjustments to universal service plan support for small
8	8	and rural incumbent local exchange companies.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 56, Utilities Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Section 56.0321 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 56.0321. ADJUSTMENTS: SMALL AND RURAL INCUMBENT LOCAL
13	13	EXCHANGE COMPANY UNIVERSAL SERVICE PLAN. (a) For each incumbent
14	14	local exchange company that serves fewer than 31,000 access lines
15	15	and is not an electing company under Chapter 58 or 59, the monthly
16	16	support amounts under a plan established under Section 56.021(1)(B)
17	17	that the company is eligible to receive on August 31, 2017, may not
18	18	be adjusted before December 1, 2018.
19	19	(b) Beginning December 1, 2018, an incumbent local exchange
20	20	company that serves fewer than 31,000 access lines and is not an
21	21	electing company under Chapter 58 or 59 is entitled to receive the
22	22	monthly per line support amount that the company was eligible to
23	23	receive pursuant to the final order issued by the commission in
24	24	Docket No. 18516, unless the commission adjusts the company's level
25	25	of support under Section 56.031 or this section.
26	26	(c) The commission by rule shall establish procedures,
27	27	standards, and criteria to determine the appropriate level of
28	28	support for an incumbent local exchange company that is subject to
29	29	this section. In adopting rules required by this subsection, the
30	30	commission:
31	31	(1) shall establish an application process, including
32	32	an opportunity for a contested case hearing, to adjust the support
33	33	provided to a company subject to this section;
34	34	(2) shall prescribe standards and criteria to evaluate
35	35	whether a rate increase is an appropriate source of revenue for a
36	36	company subject to this section as an alternative to maintaining or
37	37	increasing the level of support provided to the company;
38	38	(3) may prescribe standards and criteria to determine
39	39	the appropriate mechanism to adjust the support available to a
40	40	company subject to this section, including rate rebalancing;
41	41	(4) may prescribe standards and criteria to determine
42	42	the appropriate mechanism necessary to maintain reasonable rates
43	43	for local exchange telephone service for a company subject to this
44	44	section; and
45	45	(5) may prescribe the information a company subject to
46	46	this chapter may be required to provide to the commission for the
47	47	commission to determine the appropriate level of support and
48	48	whether rate increases are an appropriate source of revenue.
49	49	(d) This section does not restrict the commission's
50	50	authority under Chapter 53 or this chapter.
51	51	SECTION 2. Section 56.032, Utilities Code, is repealed.
52	52	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
53	53	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
54	54	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
55	55	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
56	56	Act takes effect September 1, 2017.