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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the emergency service fee collected by a wireless |
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service provider |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 771.0711, Health and Safety, is amended |
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by amending Subsections (a), (b), and (c) and adding subsections |
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(c-1), (c-2), and (c-3) to read as follows: |
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(a) To provide for automatic number identification an |
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automatic location identification of wireless 9-1-1 calls and to |
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support the deployment and reliable operation of next generation |
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9-1-1 service, the commission shall impose on each wireless |
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telecommunications connection a 9-1-1 emergency service fee. A |
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political subdivision may not impose another fee on a wireless |
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service provider or subscriber for 9-1-1 emergency service. |
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(b) A wireless service provider shall collect the fee in an |
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amount equal to 50 cents a month with an adjustment on January 1 of |
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each odd numbered year of not more than one half of the actual total |
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percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban |
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Consumers (CPI-U), as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics |
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of the United States Department of Labor, from the effective date |
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of this subsection for each wireless telecommunications connection |
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from its subscribers and shall pay the money collected to the |
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comptroller not later than the 30th say after the last day of the |
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month during which the fees were collected. The comptroller may |
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establish alternative dates for payment of fees under this section. |
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The wireless service provider may retain an administrative fee of |
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one percent of the amount collected. The comptroller shall deposit |
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the money from the dees to the credit of the 9-1-1 services fee |
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account. Until deposited to the credit of the 9-1-1 services fee |
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account as required by Subsection (c), money the comptroller |
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collects under this subsection remains in a trust fund in the state |
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treasury. |
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(c) Money collected under Subsection (b) may be used only: |
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(1) for services related to 9-1-1 services, including |
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automatic number identification and automatic location information |
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services; |
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(2) to support the deployment and reliable operation |
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of next generation 9-1-1 service;[,] or |
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(3) as authorized by Section 771.079(c). |
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(c-1) Except as provided by Subsection (c-2), not [Not] later |
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than the 15th day after the end of the month in which the money is |
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collected under Subsection (b), the commission shall distribute to |
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each emergency communication district that does not participate in |
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the state system a portion of the money that bears the same |
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proportion to the total amount collected that the population of the |
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area served by the district bears to the population of the state. |
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(c-2) For each emergency communication district created |
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under Chapter 772 entitled to a portion of the money distributed |
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under Subsection (c-1), the commission shall: |
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(1) reduce the portion to which the district is |
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entitled by an amount equal to three percent of the portion and |
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distribute that amount in equal shares to all the emergency |
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communication districts created under Chapter 772; and |
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(2) distribute to the district the remainder of the |
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portion to which the district is entitled under Subsection (c-1) |
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that is not distributed under Subdivision (1). |
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(c-3) The remaining money collected under Subsection (b) |
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that is not otherwise distributed under Subsection (c-1) or (c-2) |
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shall be deposited to the 9-1-1 services fee account. |
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SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply |
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beginning with the state fiscal biennium that begins September 1, |
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2025. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |