Bill Text: TX HB2437 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to the amount of emergency service fees for certain telecommunications providers.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-13 - Referred to State Affairs [HB2437 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-HB2437-Introduced.html

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84R10274 DDT-D
By: Hughes H.B. No. 2437

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the amount of emergency service fees for certain
telecommunications providers.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 771.071(b), Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(b) The amount of the fee may not exceed 50 cents a month for
each line. The commission shall suspend the fees established under
this section for the duration of any state fiscal biennium for which
the unencumbered balance of the 9-1-1 services fee account and the
anticipated revenue to be deposited to the account from fees on
wireless telecommunications connections imposed under Section
771.0711 are sufficient to pay for all of the appropriations from
that account. The commission may reinstate its imposition of the
fees under this section if the commission anticipates that in the
next succeeding state fiscal biennium the unencumbered balance of
the 9-1-1 services fee account will not otherwise be sufficient to
pay for all of the appropriations from that account.
SECTION 2. Sections 771.0711(a) and (b), Health and Safety
Code, are amended to read as follows:
(a) To provide for automatic number identification and
automatic location identification of wireless 9-1-1 calls, the
commission shall impose on each wireless telecommunications
connection a 9-1-1 emergency service fee in an amount determined by
the commission to be sufficient, when considered together with the
anticipated revenue from the 9-1-1 emergency service fees imposed
under Section 771.071, to fund all entities in this state that
provide emergency communications services but not more than 50
cents a month for each connection. A political subdivision may not
impose another fee on a wireless service provider or subscriber for
9-1-1 emergency service.
(b) A wireless service provider shall collect the fee [in an
amount equal to 50 cents a month] for each wireless
telecommunications connection from its subscribers and shall pay
the money collected to the comptroller not later than the 30th day
after the last day of the month during which the fees were
collected. The comptroller may establish alternative dates for
payment of fees under this section. The wireless service provider
may retain an administrative fee of one percent of the amount
collected. The comptroller shall deposit the money from the fees to
the credit of the 9-1-1 services fee account. Until deposited to
the credit of the 9-1-1 services fee account as required by
Subsection (c), money the comptroller collects under this
subsection remains in a trust fund with the state treasury.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.