By: Seliger S.B. No. 1476
(King of Hemphill)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to eligibility for support from the universal service
fund.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 56.023, Utilities Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (p) and adding Subsections (r) and (s) to read
as follows:
(p) If an incumbent local exchange company or cooperative is
ineligible for support under a plan established under Section
56.021(1) for services in an exchange, a plan established under
Section 56.021(1) may not provide support to any other
telecommunications providers for services in that exchange, except
that an eligible telecommunications provider that is receiving
support under Section 56.021(1)(A) in that exchange shall continue
to receive such support until the commission determines that the
support should be eliminated under Subsection (r) [the later of
December 31, 2017, or the second anniversary of the date the
incumbent local exchange provider or cooperative ceases receiving
support in that exchange]. Until the commission eliminates the
support under Subsection (r), the [The] support received by the
eligible telecommunications provider [during that period] shall be
at the same monthly per line support level in effect for that
exchange as of the date the incumbent local exchange provider or
cooperative ceases receiving funding in that exchange.
(r) If the number of access lines served by competitive
eligible telecommunications providers receiving support in an
exchange described by Subsection (p) declines by at least 50
percent from the number of lines that were served by those providers
in that exchange on December 31, 2016, the commission shall review
the per line support amount for that exchange at least once every
three years to determine whether continuing the support is in the
public interest. The commission by rule shall establish the
criteria to determine whether the support should be eliminated.
The first review under this subsection for an exchange must be
completed not later than the end of the year following the year in
which the number of access lines first declines by at least 50
percent.
(s) The support for eligible telecommunications providers
under Subsections (p) and (r) expires December 31, 2023.
SECTION 2. Section 56.023(q), Utilities Code, is repealed.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2017.