| 1 | Representative Smith offered the following: |
| 2 |
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| 3 | Amendment (with title amendment) |
| 4 | Remove line(s) 491-536 and insert: |
| 5 | (3)(a) Effective September 1, 2003, Any local exchange |
| 6 | telecommunications company authorized by the commission to |
| 7 | reduce its switched network access rate pursuant to s. 364.164 |
| 8 | shall have tariffed and shall provide Lifeline service to any |
| 9 | otherwise eligible customer or potential customer who meets an |
| 10 | income eligibility test at 150 125 percent or less of the |
| 11 | federal poverty income guidelines for Lifeline customers. Such a |
| 12 | test for eligibility must augment, rather than replace, the |
| 13 | eligibility standards established by federal law and based on |
| 14 | participation in certain low-income assistance programs. Each |
| 15 | intrastate interexchange telecommunications company shall, |
| 16 | effective September 1, 2003, file a tariff providing at a |
| 17 | minimum the intrastate interexchange telecommunications |
| 18 | carrier's current Lifeline benefits and exemptions to Lifeline |
| 19 | customers who meet the income eligibility test set forth in this |
| 20 | subsection. The Office of Public Counsel shall certify and |
| 21 | maintain claims submitted by a customer for eligibility under |
| 22 | the income test authorized by this subsection. |
| 23 | (b) Each local exchange telecommunications company subject |
| 24 | to this subsection shall provide to each state and federal |
| 25 | agency providing benefits to persons eligible for Lifeline |
| 26 | service applications, brochures, pamphlets, or other materials |
| 27 | that inform such persons of their eligibility for Lifeline, and |
| 28 | each state agency providing such benefits shall furnish the |
| 29 | materials to affected persons at the time they apply for |
| 30 | benefits. |
| 31 | (c) Any local exchange telecommunications company customer |
| 32 | receiving Lifeline benefits shall not be subject to any |
| 33 | residential basic local telecommunications service rate |
| 34 | increases authorized by s. 364.164 until the local exchange |
| 35 | telecommunications company reaches parity as defined in s. |
| 36 | 364.164(5) or until the customer no longer qualifies for the |
| 37 | Lifeline benefits established by this section or s. 364.105, or |
| 38 | unless otherwise determined by the commission upon petition by a |
| 39 | local exchange telecommunications company. |
| 40 | (c)(d) By December 31, 2003, Each state agency that |
| 41 | provides benefits to persons eligible for Lifeline service shall |
| 42 | undertake, in cooperation with the Department of Children and |
| 43 | Family Services, the commission, and telecommunications |
| 44 | companies providing Lifeline services, the development of |
| 45 | procedures to promote Lifeline participation. |
| 46 | (d)(e) The commission shall report to the Governor, the |
| 47 | President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of |
| 48 | Representatives by December 31 each year on the number of |
| 49 | customers who are subscribing to Lifeline service and the |
| 50 | effectiveness of any procedures to promote participation. |
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| 53 | ================ T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ============= |
| 54 | Remove line(s) 39 and insert: |
| 55 | revising provisions that require certain local exchange |