Bill Text: TX HB2603 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Comm Sub
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to the distribution of universal service funds to certain small and rural local exchange companies.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2011-06-17 - See remarks for effective date [HB2603 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HB2603-Comm_Sub.html
Bill Title: Relating to the distribution of universal service funds to certain small and rural local exchange companies.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2011-06-17 - See remarks for effective date [HB2603 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HB2603-Comm_Sub.html
82R15428 ALL-D | |||
By: Smithee | H.B. No. 2603 | ||
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2603: | |||
By: Cook | C.S.H.B. No. 2603 |
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relating to the distribution of universal service funds to certain | ||
small and rural local exchange companies. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 56.031, Utilities Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 56.031. ADJUSTMENTS: TEXAS HIGH COST UNIVERSAL | ||
SERVICE PLAN. The commission may revise the monthly per line | ||
support amounts to be made available from the Texas High Cost | ||
Universal Service Plan [ |
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hearing. In determining appropriate monthly per line support | ||
amounts, the commission shall consider the adequacy of basic rates | ||
to support universal service. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 56, Utilities Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 56.032 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 56.032. ADJUSTMENTS: SMALL AND RURAL INCUMBENT LOCAL | ||
EXCHANGE COMPANY UNIVERSAL SERVICE PLAN. (a) For purposes of this | ||
section, "consumer price index" means the Consumer Price Index for | ||
All Urban Consumers, as published by the federal Bureau of Labor | ||
Statistics of the United States Department of Labor. | ||
(b) Except as provided by Subsections (c), (d), and (e), the | ||
commission may revise the monthly support amounts to be made | ||
available from the Small and Rural Incumbent Local Exchange Company | ||
Universal Service Plan by revising the monthly per line support | ||
amounts, after notice and an opportunity for hearing. In | ||
determining appropriate monthly per line support amounts, the | ||
commission shall consider the adequacy of basic rates to support | ||
universal service. | ||
(c) On the written request of a small or rural incumbent | ||
local exchange company that receives monthly per line support | ||
amounts, the commission shall disburse funds to the company in | ||
fixed monthly amounts based on the company's annualized amount of | ||
recovery for the calendar year ending on December 31, 2010. A | ||
company may submit only one request under this subsection and must | ||
submit the request on or before December 31, 2011. | ||
(d) On the written request of a small or rural incumbent | ||
local exchange company that is not an electing company under | ||
Chapter 58 or 59, the commission annually shall set the company's | ||
monthly support amounts for the following 12 months by dividing by | ||
12 the annualized support amount calculated under this subsection. | ||
The commission shall calculate the annualized amount: | ||
(1) for the initial 12-month period for which a | ||
company makes an election under this subsection, by: | ||
(A) determining the annualized support amount | ||
calculated for the requestor in the final order issued by the | ||
commission in Docket No. 18516; and | ||
(B) adjusting the support amount determined | ||
under Paragraph (A) at the beginning of each calendar year by a | ||
factor equal to the most recent consumer price index published at | ||
that time, beginning with the 1999 calendar year and ending in the | ||
year the company makes an election under this subsection; and | ||
(2) for the 12-month period following the initial | ||
period for which a company made an election under this subsection | ||
and for subsequent 12-month periods, by adjusting the most recent | ||
annualized support amount calculated by the commission by a factor | ||
equal to the percentage change in the consumer price index for the | ||
most recent 12-month period. | ||
(e) The commission shall administratively review requests | ||
filed under Subsections (c) and (d). Except for good cause, the | ||
commission shall approve the request not later than the 60th day | ||
after the date the commission determines the company is eligible | ||
and has met all the procedural requirements under this subchapter. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |