House File 582 - Introduced



                                  HOUSE FILE       
                                  BY  COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE,
                                      REGULATION AND LABOR

                                  (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 90)


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to the funding of the dual party relay service
  2    through assessments on telecommunications carriers providing
  3    telephone service.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  5 TLSB 1790HV 81
  6 kk/pj/5

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 477C.7, Code 2005, is amended to read
  1  2 as follows:
  1  3    477C.7  FUNDING.
  1  4    1.  The board shall impose an annual assessment to fund the
  1  5 programs described in this chapter upon all telephone
  1  6 utilities telecommunications carriers providing service in the
  1  7 state as follows:.
  1  8    1.  2.  The total assessment shall be allocated one=half to
  1  9 local exchange telephone utilities and one=half to the
  1 10 following telephone utilities as follows:
  1 11    a.  Wireless communications service providers shall be
  1 12 assessed three cents per month for each wireless
  1 13 communications service number provided in this state.
  1 14    b.  (1)  The remainder of the assessment shall be allocated
  1 15 one=half to local exchange telephone utilities and one=half to
  1 16 the following:
  1 17    a.  (a)  Interexchange carriers.
  1 18    b.  (b)  Centralized equal access providers.
  1 19    c.  (c)  Alternative operator services companies.
  1 20    2.  (2)  The assessment shall be levied allocated
  1 21 proportionally based upon revenues from all intrastate
  1 22 regulated, deregulated, and exempt telephone services under
  1 23 sections 476.1 and 476.1D.
  1 24    3.  The telephone utilities telecommunications carriers
  1 25 shall remit the assessed amounts quarterly to a special fund,
  1 26 as defined under section 8.2, subsection 9.  The moneys in the
  1 27 fund are appropriated solely to plan, establish, administer,
  1 28 and promote the relay service and equipment distribution
  1 29 programs.
  1 30    4.  The telephone utilities telecommunications carriers
  1 31 subject to assessment shall provide the information requested
  1 32 by the board necessary for implementation of the assessment.
  1 33    5.  The local exchange telephone utilities shall not
  1 34 recover from intrastate access charges any portion of such
  1 35 utilities assessment imposed under this section.
  2  1                           EXPLANATION
  2  2    This bill relates to the funding of the dual party relay
  2  3 service through an assessment on telecommunications carriers
  2  4 providing telephone service in this state.  Under current law,
  2  5 the dual party relay service is funded through an assessment
  2  6 that is allocated one=half to local exchange telephone
  2  7 utilities and one=half to interexchange carriers, centralized
  2  8 equal access carriers, and alternative operator services
  2  9 companies.  The bill reallocates the assessment by providing
  2 10 that wireless communications service providers pay three cents
  2 11 per month per wireless number provided in this state.  The
  2 12 remainder of the assessment is allocated proportionately based
  2 13 on revenues, one=half to local exchange service providers and
  2 14 one=half to interexchange carriers, centralized equal access
  2 15 providers, and alternative operator services companies.
  2 16 LSB 1790HV 81
  2 17 kk:nh/pj/5