By:  Lucio                                             S.B. No. 915
       73R3495 CBH-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the establishment of an education tariff for certain
    1-3  telecommunications services.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Article XIV, Public Utility Regulatory Act
    1-6  (Article 1446c, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by
    1-7  adding Section 96B to read as follows:
    1-8        Sec. 96B.  (a)  The commission by rule shall establish a
    1-9  reduced tariff rate for each telecommunications service provided to
   1-10  a primary, secondary, or higher educational institution in this
   1-11  state that is directly related to distance learning activities.
   1-12        (b)  The commission shall set the reduced rate at an amount
   1-13  sufficient to encourage the development and offering of distance
   1-14  learning activities.
   1-15        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-16  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-17  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-18  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-19  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   1-20  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   1-21  passage, and it is so enacted.