1-1     By:  West                                             S.B. No. 1251
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 11, 1999; March 11, 1999, read
 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Economic Development;
 1-4     April 16, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
 1-5     Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0; April 16, 1999,
 1-6     sent to printer.)
 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1251                  By:  Sibley
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-8                                   AN ACT
 1-9     relating to discontinuance of basic local telecommunications
1-10     service.
1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 55, Utilities Code, is
1-13     amended by adding Section 55.012 to read as follows:
1-14           Sec. 55.012.  LIMITATIONS ON DISCONTINUANCE OF BASIC LOCAL
1-15     TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE.  (a)  A provider of basic local
1-16     telecommunications service may not discontinue that service because
1-17     of nonpayment by a residential customer of charges for long
1-18     distance service.  Payment shall first be allocated to basic local
1-19     telecommunications service.
1-20           (b)  For purposes of allocating payment in this section, if
1-21     the provider of basic local telecommunications service bundles its
1-22     basic local telecommunications service with long distance service
1-23     and provides a discount for the basic local telecommunications
1-24     service because of that bundling, the rate of basic local
1-25     telecommunications service shall be the rate the provider charges
1-26     for stand-alone basic local telecommunications service.
1-27           (c)  Notwithstanding Sections 52.102 and 52.152, the
1-28     commission has all jurisdiction necessary to enforce this section.
1-29           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-30           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-31     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-32     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-33     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-34     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-35                                  * * * * *