By: Hancock S.B. No. 1152
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the payment of certain fees to municipalities by
  entities that provide telecommunications and cable or video
  services.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 283.051, Local Government Code, is
  amended by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
         (d)  In this subsection, "affiliated group" has the meaning
  assigned by Section 171.0001, Tax Code.  A certificated
  telecommunications provider is not required to pay any compensation
  under Subsection (a) for a given year if the provider determines
  that the sum of the compensation due from the provider and any
  member of the provider's affiliated group to all municipalities in
  this state under Subsection (a) is less than the sum of the fees due
  from the provider and any member of the provider's affiliated group
  to all municipalities in this state under Section 66.005, Utilities
  Code.  The determination under this subsection for a given year must
  be based on amounts actually paid, or amounts that would have been
  paid notwithstanding this subsection, during the immediately
  preceding calendar year by the provider and any member of the
  provider's affiliated group.  In the case of a conflict between this
  subsection and Section 283.055, this subsection prevails.
         SECTION 2.  Section 66.005, Utilities Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
         (d)  In this subsection, "affiliated group" has the meaning
  assigned by Section 171.0001, Tax Code.  A holder of a state-issued
  certificate of franchise authority is not subject to the fee
  imposed under Subsection (a) for a given year if the holder
  determines that the sum of fees due from the holder and any member
  of the holder's affiliated group to all municipalities in this
  state under Subsection (a) is less than the sum of the compensation
  due from the holder and any member of the holder's affiliated group
  to all municipalities in this state under Section 283.051, Local
  Government Code.  The determination under this subsection for a
  given year must be based on amounts actually paid, or amounts that
  would have been paid notwithstanding this subsection, during the
  immediately preceding calendar year by the holder and any member of
  the holder's affiliated group.  In the case of a conflict between
  this subsection and Section 283.055, Local Government Code, this
  subsection prevails.
         SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to a payment made on or after the effective date of this Act. A
  payment made before the effective date of this Act is governed by
  the law in effect on the date the payment was made, and the former
  law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.