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 * * * * *