HBA-TYH H.B. 2910 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2910
By: Naishtat
State Affairs
4/8/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Relay access service is a service provided by the state that enables
persons with an impairment of hearing or speech to access the telephone.
This service is called Relay Texas.  Currently, the Public Utility
Commission of Texas (commission) contracts with one vendor to provide basic
statewide telecommunications relay access service.   

The commission has been interested in providing various possible special
features of Relay Texas that would allow for enhanced communication for
Texans with a hearing or speech impairment.  For example, Video Relay
Interpreting is a special feature that would allow for better communication
between deaf and hard-of-hearing Texans, as well as individuals with a
speech impairment. However, the Utilities Code does not specifically
address the purchasing of special features. Additionally, the code limits
the commission from contracting with multiple vendors, and the preferred
vendor for the basic service may not offer the desired special feature or
may be unable to provide the special features at a reasonable cost.  

H.B. 2910 allows the commission to contract for a special feature for Relay
Texas if the commission determines that the feature will provide certain
benefits.  This bill also allows the commission, in contracting for special
features of Relay Texas, to contract with vendors other than the provider
of the basic relay access service if the provider is unable to provide the
special feature at the best value to the state. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter D, Chapter 56, Utilities Code, by adding
Section 56.1085, as follows: 

Sec. 56.1085.  SPECIAL FEATURES FOR RELAY ACCESS SERVICE.  Authorizes the
Public Utility Commission of Texas (commission) to contract for a special
feature for the state's telecommunications relay access service if the
commission determines the installation will have the enumerated benefits.
Authorizes the commission, if the carrier selected to provide the
telecommunications relay access service under Section 56.108 (Selection of
Telecommunications Relay Access Service Carrier) is unable to provide the
special feature at the best value to the state, to make a written award of
a contract for a carrier to provide the special feature to the
telecommunications carrier whose proposal is most advantageous to the
state, considering the enumerated items.  Requires the commission to
consider each proposal in a manner that does not disclose the contents of
the proposal to a telecommunications carrier making a competing proposal.
Requires the commission's evaluation of a telecommunications carrier's
proposal to include the considerations provided by Section 5.108(d)(sic).  

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 56.109(a), Utilities Code, to require the
telecommunications carrier selected to provide the telecommunications relay
access service under Section 56.108 or the carrier  selected to provide a
special feature for the telecommunications relay access service under
Section 56.1085 to be compensated at rates and on terms provided by the
carrier's contract with the commission. 

SECTION 3.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.