House Amendment 8293


PAG LIN




     1  1    Amend House File 2536 as follows:
     1  2 #1.  By striking everything after the enacting
     1  3 clause and inserting the following:
     1  4    <Section 1.  IOWA COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK == INTERIM
     1  5 STUDY.
     1  6    1.  The legislative council shall establish an
     1  7 interim study committee to evaluate a sale of the Iowa
     1  8 communications network, or a portion of the network's
     1  9 assets.  The study shall include a review of legal and
     1 10 practical issues that may affect whether the sale of
     1 11 the network, or a portion of the network's assets,
     1 12 should be approved or rejected, or that may affect the
     1 13 terms under which a sale or partial sale should be
     1 14 completed.  Issues to be included in the study shall
     1 15 include all of the following:
     1 16    a.  The impact of a sale or partial sale of the
     1 17 network on existing authorized users.
     1 18    b.  The impact of a sale or partial sale of the
     1 19 network on existing telecommunications providers, and
     1 20 on the development of the competitive local exchange
     1 21 market.
     1 22    c.  The impact of a sale or partial sale of the
     1 23 network to a single provider on the state's continued
     1 24 use of the bandwidth at an affordable price.
     1 25    d.  The effect of a sale or partial sale of the
     1 26 network on Part III leases.
     1 27    e.  The protection of state interests including the
     1 28 assurance of affordable access to the network for
     1 29 public entities.
     1 30    f.  The necessity of compliance with applicable
     1 31 state laws.
     1 32    g.  Issues relating to the use of public rights=of=
     1 33 way by potential buyers of the network, or a portion
     1 34 of the network.
     1 35    h.  The impact of a sale or partial sale of the
     1 36 network on Iowa businesses and citizens.
     1 37    i.  Providing for a long=term lease of sufficient
     1 38 capacity to meet the needs of existing and future
     1 39 educational users of the network identified in chapter
     1 40 8D.
     1 41    j.  A review of whether a sale or partial sale of
     1 42 the network should be completed pursuant to a request
     1 43 for proposals or by some other manner of sale.
     1 44    k.  A review of the impact of federal
     1 45 communications commission policy pertaining to common
     1 46 carriage status of the network and the potential loss
     1 47 of universal service funds for kindergarten through
     1 48 grade twelve schools based on a sale or partial sale
     1 49 of the network, and recommendations on the manner in
     1 50 which the network should be sold to avoid an adverse
     2  1 impact on the state, educational users, and the
     2  2 network.
     2  3    l.  The anticipated future requirements of the
     2  4 state for use of the network to address the state's
     2  5 technological needs.
     2  6    m.  A review of the cost implications to the state
     2  7 if federal funds are lost due to a sale, or partial
     2  8 sale, of the network.
     2  9    n.  Consideration of sales criteria including,
     2 10 among others, whether the network, or a portion of the
     2 11 network, should be sold to a single purchaser,
     2 12 multiple purchasers, or to a consortium of purchasers;
     2 13 and whether or not to establish a minimum sale price.
     2 14    o.  A review of the necessity for continuation of
     2 15 the Iowa telecommunications and technology commission
     2 16 and the Iowa communications network operations center
     2 17 in the event that the network, or a portion of the
     2 18 network, is sold.
     2 19    p.  A review, in consultation with the utilities
     2 20 division of the department of commerce, of the legal
     2 21 and practical issues involved in, and the merits of, a
     2 22 possible conversion of the network into a public
     2 23 utility.
     2 24    q.  A review of the existing agreements between the
     2 25 state, the network, the federal emergency management
     2 26 administration, and the department of defense, and the
     2 27 impact of a sale or partial sale of the network on its
     2 28 use during times of emergency or national disaster.
     2 29    r.  Other relevant issues as identified by
     2 30 committee members.
     2 31    2.  The committee shall consult with other state
     2 32 agencies, appropriate federal agencies, and private
     2 33 associations and vendors in completing its evaluation
     2 34 of a sale or partial sale of the network.
     2 35    3.  The interim committee shall be composed of ten
     2 36 voting members, representing both political parties
     2 37 and both houses of the general assembly.  Five members
     2 38 shall be members of the senate, three of whom shall be
     2 39 appointed by the majority leader of the senate and two
     2 40 of whom shall be appointed by the minority leader of
     2 41 the senate.  Five members shall be members of the
     2 42 house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of
     2 43 the house, three of whom shall be of the majority
     2 44 party and two of whom shall be of the minority party.
     2 45 Nonvoting members shall be appointed by the
     2 46 legislative council, in consultation with the
     2 47 governor, and shall include, but not be limited to,
     2 48 individuals representing the Iowa telecommunications
     2 49 and technology commission, an independent telephone
     2 50 company, a rate=regulated telephone company, the Iowa
     3  1 national guard, private industry, the state board of
     3  2 regents universities, the kindergarten through grade
     3  3 twelve public education system, community colleges,
     3  4 private colleges, the Iowa utilities board, the Iowa
     3  5 department of corrections, the emergency management
     3  6 division of the Iowa department of public defense, and
     3  7 a representative from the medical field.
     3  8    4.  The committee shall complete its evaluation and
     3  9 submit a written report of its recommendations to the
     3 10 members of the general assembly by December 1, 2004.>
     3 11 #2.  Title page, by striking lines 1 through 3 and
     3 12 inserting the following:  <An Act relating to the
     3 13 establishment of a committee to conduct an evaluation
     3 14 of the issues relating to the sale, or partial sale,
     3 15 of the Iowa communications network.>
     3 16
     3 17
     3 18                               
     3 19 HORBACH of Tama
     3 20
     3 21
     3 22                               
     3 23 SANDS of Louisa
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     3 25
     3 26                               
     3 27 QUIRK of Chickasaw
     3 28
     3 29
     3 30                               
     3 31 PETERSEN of Polk
     3 32 HF 2536.703 80
     3 33 rn/gg

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