HBA-SEB H.B. 83 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 83
By: Chavez
Economic Development
3/10/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Following the deregulation of pay telephone service, most pay telephone
rates rose from 25 to 35 cents per call.  Currently, pay telephones do not
provide change to a customer who deposits an amount greater than 35 cents.
As a result, a customer who deposits 2 quarters loses 15 cents.  H.B. 83
requires a provider of pay telephones to equip the provider's pay
telephones with a mechanism to provide change to a customer who does not
deposit the exact amount of the cost of the call. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter H, Chapter 55, Utilities Code, by adding
Section 55.1775, as follows: 

Sec. 55.1775.  Requires a provider of pay telephones to equip the
provider's pay telephones so that each telephone will make change for a
customer who deposits an amount greater than the cost of the customer's
call. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date:  September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.