| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to grants for community-based telephone voice-mail |
|
|
services for individuals in crisis or in transition. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 56.021, Utilities Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 56.021. UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND ESTABLISHED. The |
|
|
commission shall adopt and enforce rules requiring local exchange |
|
|
companies to establish a universal service fund to: |
|
|
(1) assist telecommunications providers in providing |
|
|
basic local telecommunications service at reasonable rates in high |
|
|
cost rural areas; |
|
|
(2) reimburse the telecommunications carrier that |
|
|
provides the statewide telecommunications relay access service |
|
|
under Subchapter D; |
|
|
(3) finance the specialized telecommunications |
|
|
assistance program established under Subchapter E; |
|
|
(4) reimburse the department, the Texas Commission for |
|
|
the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and the commission for costs incurred |
|
|
in implementing this chapter and Chapter 57; |
|
|
(5) reimburse a telecommunications carrier providing |
|
|
lifeline service as provided by 47 C.F.R. Part 54, Subpart E, as |
|
|
amended; |
|
|
(6) finance the implementation and administration of |
|
|
an integrated eligibility process created under Section 17.007 for |
|
|
customer service discounts relating to telecommunications |
|
|
services, including outreach expenses the commission determines |
|
|
are reasonable and necessary; |
|
|
(7) reimburse a designated provider under Subchapter |
|
|
F; |
|
|
(8) reimburse a successor utility under Subchapter G; |
|
|
[and] |
|
|
(9) finance the program established under Subchapter |
|
|
H; and |
|
|
(10) fund grants under the program established under |
|
|
Subchapter I. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Chapter 56, Utilities Code, is amended by adding |
|
|
Subchapter I to read as follows: |
|
|
SUBCHAPTER I. TELEPHONE VOICE-MAIL GRANT PROGRAM |
|
|
Sec. 56.351. TELEPHONE VOICE-MAIL GRANTS. (a) The |
|
|
commission by rule shall establish a commission program to fund |
|
|
from the universal service fund grants to assist community-based |
|
|
providers of telephone voice-mail boxes for individuals in crisis |
|
|
or in transition who cannot afford telephone services. |
|
|
(b) Rules adopted under this section shall provide for a |
|
|
preference for a grant applicant that does not charge a client for a |
|
|
telephone voice-mail box or that charges only a nominal amount for |
|
|
enrollment in and oversight of voice-mail box services. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |