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PRINTER'S NO. 908
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
740
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY AUMENT, REGAN, HUTCHINSON, YAW, BAKER, VULAKOVICH,
WARD, ALLOWAY, BARTOLOTTA, LAUGHLIN, MENSCH, LANGERHOLC AND
STEFANO, JUNE 5, 2017
REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE,
JUNE 5, 2017
AN ACT
Providing for rural telephone access and availability; and
imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
relating to the Universal Service Fund.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Rural
Telephone Access and Availability Act.
Section 2. Declaration of policy.
The General Assembly finds and declares that the policy of
the Commonwealth is to maintain the provision of landline
telephone service to residents of this Commonwealth by
supporting Federal and State universal service objectives that
telecommunications services should be available to all consumers
at reasonable rates.
Section 3. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
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have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Basic calling service." A landline telephone service that
provides a residential customer with the ability to transmit and
receive voice communications, including access to E-911 service.
For purposes of this act only, the term does not include
wireless service.
"Commission." The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
"Fund." The Universal Service Fund identified under 52 Pa.
Code Ch. 63 Subch. L (relating to universal service) and 47 CFR
Pt. 54 (relating to universal service).
"Rural telecommunications carrier." As defined in 66 Pa.C.S.
§ 3012 (relating to definitions).
Section 4. Universal Service Fund.
(a) Term and obligations.--The fund shall remain in effect
until December 31, 2021, on the same terms and conditions as
provided under 52 Pa. Code Ch. 63 Subch. L (relating to
universal service) and by commission orders issued prior to the
effective date of this section. Through December 31, 2021, each
rural telecommunications carrier:
(1) Shall provide basic calling service under 66 Pa.C.S.
§ 1501 (relating to character of service and facilities)
throughout its certificated service territory pursuant to
tariff and at a rate compliant with Federal requirements.
(2) Is prohibited from declaring as competitive a
particular geographic area, exchange or group of exchanges
under 66 Pa.C.S. § 3016(a) (relating to competitive services)
pending a final order entered by the commission in the
investigation under subsection (b).
(3) Shall file with the commission annual affidavits on
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or before March 31 certifying that money received from the
fund during the prior calendar year was utilized to maintain
and operate facilities and provide basic calling service
solely in this Commonwealth. The affidavit shall identify
network investment and operating and maintenance expenses.
(b) Order and rulemaking.--The commission shall undertake an
investigation and rulemaking to determine structure and duration
of the fund, provided that any adjustment ordered to the fund
includes corresponding adjustment to regulatory requirements on
impacted rural telecommunications carriers. The commission's
order shall be released no later than December 31, 2020, and
shall become effective January l, 2022.
(c) Annual reports.--The commission shall issue annual
reports identifying fund disbursements as authorized by this
act. The reports shall be published on the commission's publicly
accessible Internet website.
Section 5. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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