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91_HB4019
LRB9112375JSpc
1 AN ACT to amend the Public Utilities Act by changing
2 Section 13-301.1.
3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
4 represented in the General Assembly:
5 Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by
6 changing Section 13-301.1 as follows:
7 (220 ILCS 5/13-301.1) (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 13-301.1)
8 Sec. 13-301.1. Universal Telephone Service Assistance
9 Program.
10 (a) The Commission shall by rule or regulation establish
11 a Universal Telephone Service Assistance Program for low
12 income residential customers. The program shall provide for a
13 reduction of access line charges, a reduction of connection
14 charges, or any other alternative to increase accessibility
15 to telephone service that the Commission deems advisable
16 subject to the availability of funds for the program as
17 provided in subsection (b). The Commission shall establish
18 eligibility requirements for benefits under the program.
19 (b) The Commission shall require by rule or regulation
20 that each telecommunications carrier providing local exchange
21 telecommunications services notify its customers that if the
22 customer wishes to participate in the funding of the
23 Universal Telephone Service Assistance Program he may do so
24 by electing to contribute, on a monthly basis, a fixed amount
25 that will be included in the customer's monthly bill. The
26 customer may cease contributing at any time upon providing
27 notice to the telecommunications carrier providing local
28 exchange telecommunications services. The notice shall state
29 that any contribution made will not reduce the customer's
30 bill for telecommunications services. Failure to remit the
31 amount of increased payment will reduce the contribution
-2- LRB9112375JSpc
1 accordingly. The Commission shall specify the monthly fixed
2 amount or amounts that customers wishing to contribute to the
3 funding of the Universal Telephone Service Assistance Program
4 may choose from in making their contributions. Every
5 telecommunications carrier providing local exchange
6 telecommunications services shall remit the amounts
7 contributed in accordance with the terms of the Universal
8 Telephone Service Assistance Program.
9 (c) The Department of Commerce and Community Affairs,
10 the Department of Human Services, and the Department of
11 Public Aid shall provide to each telecommunications carrier
12 providing local exchange telecommunications services a list
13 of customers who are eligible for the Universal Telephone
14 Service Assistance Program and who are located within the
15 service area of the carrier. The list must include:
16 (1) the name and address of each eligible customer;
17 and
18 (2) if applicable, the telephone number of each
19 eligible customer.
20 These Departments shall provide to the telecommunications
21 carrier an updated list of the eligible customers in this
22 State once every 6 months. The Commission and the
23 Departments may adopt such rules as are necessary to
24 coordinate the acquisition and provision of the information
25 required to be provided pursuant to this Section. The
26 information provided by the Departments to the
27 telecommunications carriers shall remain confidential and may
28 only be used for the purposes of this Section.
29 (d) Within 7 days after determining that a person
30 located in its service area is an eligible customer, a
31 telecommunications carrier shall notify the eligible customer
32 that he or she will receive lifeline services, unless he or
33 she specifically declines to receive the services. The
34 notification must include;
-3- LRB9112375JSpc
1 (1) information about the lifeline service,
2 including, without limitation, the date on which the
3 service will begin and any options or responsibilities
4 that the eligible customer may have related to the
5 receipt of that service;
6 (2) a self-addressed, postage paid response card
7 that the eligible customer must return to the
8 telecommunications carrier to decline the services; and
9 (3) a statement that the telecommunications carrier
10 will automatically provide lifeline services to the
11 eligible customer unless the eligible customer declines
12 the services by returning to the telecommunications
13 carrier the response card included with the notification.
14 To decline lifeline services, an eligible customer must
15 return the response card to the telecommunications carrier
16 not later than 10 days before the date on which the services
17 are scheduled to begin.
18 (e) A telecommunications carrier shall begin providing
19 lifeline services to all eligible customers not declining
20 services no later than 60 days after the date on which the
21 telecommunications carrier receives the list of eligible
22 customers. A carrier shall continue providing lifeline
23 services to an eligible customer until it is notified that
24 the customer is no longer eligible for the program or the
25 eligible customer notifies the telecommunications carrier in
26 writing that he or she wishes to discontinue receiving those
27 services.
28 (Source: P.A. 87-750; 90-372, eff. 7-1-98.)