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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating of maintenance of rates and expansion of funds for certain |
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companies. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 56, Utilities Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 56.025 MAINTENANCE OF RATES AND EXPANSION OF FUND FOR |
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CERTAIN COMPANIES. (a) In addition to the authority provided by |
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Section 56.021: |
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(1) for each local exchange company that serves fewer |
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than 31,000 access lines and each cooperative, the commission may |
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adopt a mechanism necessary to maintain reasonable rates for local |
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exchange telephone service; and |
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(2) for each local exchange and each cooperative that |
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serves 31,000 or fewer access lines and that on June 1, 2013, is not |
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an electing company under Chapter 58 or 59, the commission shall |
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adopt rules to expand the universal service fund in the |
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circumstances prescribed by this section. |
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(b) The commission shall implement a mechanism through the |
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universal service fund to replace the reasonably projected |
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reduction in high cost assistance revenue caused by a commission |
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order, rule, or policy. This subsection does not apply to an order |
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entered in a proceeding related to an individual company’s revenue |
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requirements. |
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[(c) The commission shall implement a mechanism to replace |
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the reasonably projected change in revenue caused by a Federal |
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Communications Commission order, rule, or policy that changes: |
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(1) the federal universal service fund revenue of a |
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local exchange company; or |
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(2) costs or revenue assigned to the intrastate |
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jurisdiction.] |
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(c) [(d)] The commission shall implement a mechanism to |
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replace the reasonably projected reduction in contribution caused |
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by a change of commission policy regarding intraLATA “1-plus” |
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dialing access. In this subsection, “contribution” means the |
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average intraLATA long distance message telecommunications service |
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revenue per minute, including intraLATA toll pooling and associated |
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impacts, less the average message telecommunications service cost |
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per minute less the average contribution from switched access |
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multiplied by the projected change in intraLATA “1-plus”minutes. |
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(d) [(e)] The commission shall implement a mechanism to |
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replace the reasonably projected increase in costs or decrease in |
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revenue of the intrastate jurisdiction caused by another |
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governmental agency’s order, rule, or policy. |
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(e) [(f)] A mechanism implemented under Subsection (c), |
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(d)[, or (e)] must be through: |
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(1) an increase in rates, if the increase would not |
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adversely affect universal service; or |
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(2) the universal service fund. |
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(f) [(g)] Not withstanding any other provision of this |
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section, after December 31, 2013, the commission may not distribute |
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support granted under this section, including any support granted |
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before that date, to a local exchange company or cooperative that |
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serves greater than 31,000 access lines or that is an electing |
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company under Chapter 58 or 59 on June 1, 2013. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |