HBA-SEP C.S.H.B. 1351 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 1351
By: Brimer
State Affairs
3/22/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law requires pay phone operators to pay the same Texas universal
service fund (TUSF) charges as other phone carriers.  However, pay phone
operators cannot pass these charges along to customers on a monthly basis
like other telecommunication operators.  C.S.H.B. 1351 prohibits the Public
Utility Commission of Texas from assessing, on pay telephone service, the
uniform charge that funds TUSF. 

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. 

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1351 amends the Utilities Code to prohibit the Public Utility
Commission of Texas from assessing, on pay telephone service, the uniform
charge that funds the Texas universal service fund. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 1351 differs from the original by eliminating the requirement that
a pay telephone be customerowned to be exempt from the uniform charge that
funds the universal service fund.