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| [ Introduced ] | [ House Amendment 001 ] |
92_HB3105eng HB3105 Engrossed LRB9208294JSpc 1 AN ACT concerning telecommunications. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by 5 changing Section 13-301.1 as follows: 6 (220 ILCS 5/13-301.1) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 13-301.1) 7 Sec. 13-301.1. Universal Telephone Service Assistance 8 Program. 9 (a) The Commission shall by rule or regulation establish 10 a Universal Telephone Service Assistance Program for low 11 income residential customers. The program shall provide for a 12 reduction of access line charges, a reduction of connection 13 charges, or any other alternative to increase accessibility 14 to telephone service that the Commission deems advisable 15 subject to the availability of funds for the program as 16 provided in subsection (d)(b). The Commission shall 17 establish eligibility requirements for benefits under the 18 program. 19 (b) The Commission shall adopt rules providing for 20 enhanced enrollment for eligible consumers to receive 21 lifeline service. Enhanced enrollment may include, but is 22 not limited to, joint marketing, joint application, or joint 23 processing with the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance 24 Program, the Medicaid program, or the Food Stamp program. 25 The Department of Human Services, the Department of Public 26 Aid, and the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, 27 upon request of the Commission, shall assist in the adoption 28 and implementation of those rules. The Commission and the 29 Department of Human Services, the Department of Public Aid, 30 and the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs may 31 enter into memoranda of understanding establishing the HB3105 Engrossed -2- LRB9208294JSpc 1 respective duties of the Commission and the Departments in 2 relation to enhanced enrollment. 3 (c) In this Section, "lifeline service" means a retail 4 local service offering described by 47 C.F.R. Section 5 54.401(a), as amended. 6 (d)(b)The Commission shall require by rule or 7 regulation that each telecommunications carrier providing 8 local exchange telecommunications services notify its 9 customers that if the customer wishes to participate in the 10 funding of the Universal Telephone Service Assistance Program 11 he may do so by electing to contribute, on a monthly basis, a 12 fixed amount that will be included in the customer's monthly 13 bill. The customer may cease contributing at any time upon 14 providing notice to the telecommunications carrier providing 15 local exchange telecommunications services. The notice shall 16 state that any contribution made will not reduce the 17 customer's bill for telecommunications services. Failure to 18 remit the amount of increased payment will reduce the 19 contribution accordingly. The Commission shall specify the 20 monthly fixed amount or amounts that customers wishing to 21 contribute to the funding of the Universal Telephone Service 22 Assistance Program may choose from in making their 23 contributions. Every telecommunications carrier providing 24 local exchange telecommunications services shall remit the 25 amounts contributed in accordance with the terms of the 26 Universal Telephone Service Assistance Program. 27 (Source: P.A. 87-750; 90-372, eff. 7-1-98.)