Senate Bill sb2656

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 2656

    By Senator Argenziano





    3-1860-04

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to Lifeline telecommunication

  3         services; amending s. 364.10, F.S.; prohibiting

  4         a local exchange telecommunication company

  5         providing Lifeline services from increasing its

  6         basic local residential service rate unless the

  7         local residential rate increase is matched

  8         dollar-for-dollar with an increase in the total

  9         Lifeline financial assistance available to the

10         customer; directing that a Lifeline customer is

11         not subject to any authorized rate increase

12         until the matching financial assistance is

13         available to the customer; amending s. 364.105,

14         F.S.; requiring that the percentage discount

15         for the residential basic local

16         telecommunications rate offered to a Lifeline

17         customer be applied against the rate effective

18         to the Lifeline customer on a specified date;

19         providing an effective date.

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21  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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23         Section 1.  Paragraph (c) of subsection (3) of section

24  364.10, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

25         364.10  Undue advantage to person or locality

26  prohibited; Lifeline service.--

27         (3)

28         (c)  Any local exchange telecommunications company

29  customer receiving Lifeline benefits shall not be subject to

30  any residential basic local telecommunications service rate

31  increases authorized by s. 364.164 until the local exchange

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 2656
    3-1860-04




 1  telecommunications company reaches parity as defined in s.

 2  364.164(5) or until the customer no longer qualifies for the

 3  Lifeline benefits established by this section or s. 364.105,

 4  or unless the rate increase is matched dollar-for-dollar with

 5  an increase in the total Lifeline financial assistance

 6  available to the customer. A customer receiving Lifeline

 7  benefits is not subject to any rate increase otherwise

 8  authorized by s. 364.164 until the matching dollar-for-dollar

 9  financial assistance is available to the customer otherwise

10  determined by the commission upon petition by a local exchange

11  telecommunications company.

12         Section 2.  Section 364.105, Florida Statutes, is

13  amended to read:

14         364.105  Discounted rate for basic service for former

15  Lifeline subscribers.--Each local exchange telecommunications

16  company shall offer discounted residential basic local

17  telecommunications service at 70 percent of the residential

18  local telecommunications service rate in effect for the

19  telecommunications company providing service to that customer

20  on June 1, 2003, for any Lifeline subscriber who no longer

21  qualifies for Lifeline. A Lifeline subscriber who requests the

22  such service shall receive the discounted price for a period

23  of 1 year after the date the subscriber ceases to be qualified

24  for Lifeline. In no event shall this preclude the offering of

25  any other discounted services which comply with ss. 364.08,

26  364.09, and 364.10.

27         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

28  law.

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 2656
    3-1860-04




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 2                          SENATE SUMMARY

 3    Provides that a local exchange telecommunication company
      providing Lifeline services may not increase its basic
 4    local residential service rate unless the local
      residential rate increase is matched dollar-for-dollar
 5    with an increase in the total Lifeline financial
      assistance available to the customer. Directs that a
 6    Lifeline customer is not subject to any authorized rate
      increase until the matching financial assistance is
 7    available to the customer. Provides that the percentage
      discount for the residential basic local
 8    telecommunications rate offered to a Lifeline customer be
      applied against the rate effective to the Lifeline
 9    customer on a specified date.

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