PRINTER'S NO. 404
No. 9 Session of 1995
INTRODUCED BY D. R. WRIGHT, PESCI, STABACK, TRELLO, PRESTON,
MERRY, BELFANTI AND YOUNGBLOOD, JANUARY 23, 1995
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS,
JANUARY 23, 1995
A RESOLUTION
1 Memorializing the Congress of the United States to defeat any
2 legislation that would preempt or limit the states'
3 regulatory authority to maintain universal telecommunications
4 service at affordable rates.
5 WHEREAS, Innovative telecommunications legislation was
6 enacted into law in Pennsylvania on July 8, 1993 (P.L.456,
7 No.67), 66 Pa.C.S. Ch. 30 (relating to alternative form of
8 regulation of telecommunications services), providing for a
9 progressive regulatory method in order that the Commonwealth can
10 keep pace with its everchanging telecommunications market; and
11 WHEREAS, The new telecommunications law was the result of
12 extensive research, public input, lengthy deliberations and
13 intense debate by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of
14 Pennsylvania for three years; and
15 WHEREAS, Chapter 30 recognizes the numerous issues present in
16 the everchanging telecommunications market in this Commonwealth;
17 and
18 WHEREAS, Chapter 30 incorporates the pertinent issue of
1 maintaining universal telecommunications service at affordable
2 rates while encouraging the accelerated deployment of a
3 universally available, state-of-the-art, interactive, public-
4 switched broadband telecommunications network in Pennsylvania's
5 rural, suburban and urban areas; and
6 WHEREAS, Chapter 30 provides diversity in the supply of
7 existing and future telecommunications services and products in
8 telecommunications markets throughout this Commonwealth by
9 ensuring that the rates, terms and conditions for noncompetitive
10 services, including access services, are reasonable and do not
11 impede the development of competition; and
12 WHEREAS, Chapter 30 promotes and encourages the provisions of
13 competitive services by a variety of service providers on equal
14 terms throughout all geographic areas of this Commonwealth; and
15 WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's telecommunications legislation
16 establishes alternative forms of regulation for local exchange
17 telecommunications companies while providing for the balanced
18 deployment of an advanced telecommunications network to rural,
19 urban and suburban areas of this Commonwealth; and
20 WHEREAS, Chapter 30 addresses the issues of the diversity of
21 the telecommunications market in this Commonwealth which is
22 comprised of 37 local exchange telecommunications companies,
23 over 220 cable television operators and numerous competitive
24 access providers and resellers within Pennsylvania; and
25 WHEREAS, An alternative form of regulation petition and a
26 network modernization implementation plan for Bell Atlantic-
27 Pennsylvania, Inc., have been approved as modified in accordance
28 with Chapter 30 by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission on
29 June 22, 1994, setting into motion the deployment of an advanced
30 network and regulatory relief for competitive services within
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1 Pennsylvania; therefore be it
2 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
3 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania memorialize Congress to vote
4 against any legislation that would preempt or limit the states'
5 regulatory authority to maintain universal telecommunications
6 service at affordable rates while encouraging the accelerated
7 deployment of a universally available, state-of-the-art,
8 interactive, public-switched broadband telecommunications
9 network in Pennsylvania's rural, suburban and urban areas; and
10 be it further
11 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives memorialize
12 Congress to vote against any legislation that stifles the
13 states' ability to encourage and promote a competitive
14 telecommunications market which will benefit all Pennsylvanians;
15 and be it further
16 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives memorialize
17 Congress, as a legislative compromise, to approve legislation
18 which "grandfathers" any existing state laws and
19 telecommunications plans in effect at the time that Federal
20 telecommunications legislation is signed into law; and be it
21 further
22 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
23 the presiding officers of each house of Congress and to each
24 member of Congress from Pennsylvania.
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