08 LC
36 1065
The
House Committee on Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications offers the following
substitute
to HR 1288:
A
RESOLUTION
Creating
the House Telecommunications Competition Review Study Committee; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS,
"The Telecommunications and Competition Development Act of 1995" was adopted by
the Georgia General Assembly for the purpose of promoting market based
competition, establishing a new regulatory model, providing for pricing
flexibility, encouraging investment in telecommunications infrastructure,
promoting economic growth, responding to growing consumer demand, and assuring
reasonable cost for universal access to basic local exchange service;
and
WHEREAS,
the Georgia General Assembly continues to be committed to the promotion of
market based competition to promote telecommunications to the benefit of
Georgia's citizens state wide; and
WHEREAS,
in order to promote telecommunications to the benefit of Georgia's citizens
state wide it is necessary that telecommunications providers be treated fairly
and equitably; and
WHEREAS,
there has been no study or review of the level of intercarrier compensation and
the effect on competition and economic development in Georgia for 12 years;
and
WHEREAS,
the current manner in which intercarrier compensation within the State of
Georgia assures the provision of reasonably priced access to communications
services may need to be examined in light of current technology and to ensure
the equitable regulation of such access to communications services;
and
WHEREAS,
it would be appropriate for the Georgia General Assembly to revisit its
telecommunications policy to determine if it may again be appropriate to lead
the nation into the twenty-first century of telecommunications
policy.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that there is created
the House Telecommunications Competition Review Study Committee to be composed
of five members of the House to be appointed by the Speaker of the House. The
Speaker of the House shall designate a member of the committee as chairperson of
the committee. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the
committee.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall undertake a study of the
conditions, needs, issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and
recommend any action or legislation which the committee deems necessary or
appropriate. The committee may conduct such meetings at such places and at such
times as it may deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and
effectively its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and
purposes of this resolution. The members of the committee shall receive the
allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated. The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received
by any member of the committee for more than five days unless additional days
are authorized. The funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this
resolution shall come from the funds appropriated to the House of
Representatives. In the event the committee makes a report of its findings and
recommendations, with suggestions for proposed legislation, if any, such report
shall be made on or before December 1, 2008. The committee shall stand
abolished on December 1, 2008.