HB 235

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to Lifeline telecommunications service;
3	amending s. 364.10, F.S.; authorizing any commercial
4	mobile radio service provider designated as an eligible
5	telecommunications carrier to offer Lifeline services;
6	authorizing the Department of Children and Family
7	Services, the Department of Education, the Public Service
8	Commission, and the Office of Public Counsel to exchange
9	certain information with eligible telecommunications
10	carriers so the carriers can identify and enroll an
11	eligible person in the Lifeline and Link-Up programs;
12	maintaining confidentiality of the information; providing
13	an effective date.
14
15	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
16
17	Section 1.  Paragraphs (a) and (h) of subsection (3) of
18	section 364.10, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
19	364.10  Undue advantage to person or locality prohibited;
20	Lifeline service.--
21	(3)(a)  Each local exchange telecommunications company that
22	has more than 1 million access lines and that is designated as
23	an eligible telecommunications carrier shall, and any commercial
24	mobile radio service provider designated as an eligible
25	telecommunications carrier may, upon filing a notice of election
26	to do so with the commission, provide Lifeline service to any
27	otherwise eligible customer or potential customer who meets an
28	income eligibility test at 150 percent or less of the federal
29	poverty income guidelines for Lifeline customers. Such a test
30	for eligibility must augment, rather than replace, the
31	eligibility standards established by federal law and based on
32	participation in certain low-income assistance programs. Each
33	intrastate interexchange telecommunications company shall file
34	or publish a schedule providing at a minimum the intrastate
35	interexchange telecommunications carrier's current Lifeline
36	benefits and exemptions to Lifeline customers who meet the
37	income eligibility test set forth in this subsection. The Office
38	of Public Counsel shall certify and maintain claims submitted by
39	a customer for eligibility under the income test authorized by
40	this subsection.
41	(h)1.  By December 31, 2010 2007, each state agency that
42	provides benefits to persons eligible for Lifeline service shall
43	undertake, in cooperation with the Department of Children and
44	Family Services, the Department of Education, the commission,
45	the Office of Public Counsel, and telecommunications companies
46	designated eligible telecommunications carriers providing
47	Lifeline services, the development of procedures to promote
48	Lifeline participation. The departments, the commission, and the
49	Office of the Public Counsel may exchange sufficient information
50	with the appropriate eligible telecommunications carriers, such
51	as a person's name, date of birth, service address, and
52	telephone number, so that the carriers can identify and enroll
53	an eligible person in the Lifeline and Link-Up programs. The
54	information remains confidential pursuant to s. 364.107 and may
55	only be used for purposes of determining eligibility and
56	enrollment in the Lifeline and Link-Up programs.
57	2.  If any state agency determines that a person is
58	eligible for Lifeline services, the agency shall immediately
59	forward the information to the commission to ensure that the
60	person is automatically enrolled in the program with the
61	appropriate eligible telecommunications carrier. The state
62	agency shall include an option for an eligible customer to
63	choose not to subscribe to the Lifeline service. The Public
64	Service Commission and the Department of Children and Family
65	Services shall, no later than December 31, 2007, adopt rules
66	creating procedures to automatically enroll eligible customers
67	in Lifeline service.
68	3.  By December 31, 2010, the commission, the Department of
69	Children and Family Services, and the Office of Public Counsel,
70	and each eligible telecommunications carrier offering Lifeline
71	and Link-Up services, shall enter into a memorandum of
72	understanding establishing their the respective duties of the
73	commission, the department, and the public counsel with respect
74	to the automatic enrollment procedures no later than December
75	31, 2007.
76	Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.