House Study Bill 90



                                  HOUSE FILE       
                                  BY  (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON
                                       COMMERCE, REGULATION AND LABOR
                                       BILL BY CHAIRPERSON JENKINS)


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