07 LC
36 0700
House
Bill 745
By:
Representatives Lunsford of the
110th
and Rogers of the
26th
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Part 1A of Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 46 of the Official Code of
Georgia Annotated, relating to the telephone system for the physically impaired,
so as to permit certain funds collected through the existing monthly maintenance
surcharge for the provision of a telephone system for the physically impaired to
also be used to provide trauma care to the citizens of this state; to provide
for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Part
1A of Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 46 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to the telephone system for the physically impaired, is
amended by revising subsection (c) of Code Section 46-5-30, relating to the
establishment, administration, and operation of a state-wide dual party relay
service, as follows:
"(c)
The commission shall require all local exchange telephone companies in this
state, except those operated by telephone membership corporations, to impose a
monthly maintenance surcharge on all residential and business local exchange
access facilities. For the purpose of this subsection, 'exchange access
facility' means the access from a particular telephone subscriber´s premise
to the telephone system of a local exchange telephone company. 'Exchange access
facility' includes local exchange company provided access lines, private branch
exchange trunks, and centrex network access registers, all as defined by tariffs
of telephone companies as approved by the commission. The amount of the
surcharge shall be determined by the commission based upon the amount of funding
necessary to accomplish the purposes of this Code section and provide the
services on an ongoing basis; however, in no case shall the amount exceed
20¢ per month. A maximum of 5¢ of this monthly surcharge per access
line shall be utilized for a telecommunications equipment distribution program
and a maximum of 1¢ of this monthly surcharge per access line shall be
utilized to fund an audible universal information access service. If the
projected cost of the operation of the relay service exceeds a monthly surcharge
of 15¢ at any time, funding for the telecommunications equipment
distribution program and the audible universal information access service will
be reduced by the amount required to fully fund the relay service, under the
existing cap of 20¢ for the period of time necessary. No additional fees
other than the surcharge authorized by this subsection shall be imposed on any
user of such relay or information access service. The local exchange companies
shall collect the surcharge from their customers and transfer the moneys
collected to a special fund to be held separate from all other funds. The fund
shall be used
solely
to provide
trauma care throughout the state and for
the administration and operation of the relay service, the information access
service, and the telecommunications equipment distribution program and shall not
be imposed, collected, or expended for any other purpose."
SECTION
2.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.