CS/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 and certain commercial mobile radio service
11	providers so the carriers and providers can identify and
12	enroll an eligible person in the Lifeline and Link-Up
13	programs; maintaining confidentiality of the information;
14	requiring that the commission, the Department of Children
15	and Family Services, the Office of Public Counsel, and
16	each eligible telecommunications carrier convene a
17	Lifeline Workgroup by a specified date; providing an
18	effective date.
19
20	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
21
22	Section 1.  Paragraphs (a) and (h) of subsection (3) of
23	section 364.10, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
24	364.10  Undue advantage to person or locality prohibited;
25	Lifeline service.-
26	(3)(a)  Each local exchange telecommunications company that
27	has more than 1 million access lines and that is designated as
28	an eligible telecommunications carrier shall, and any commercial
29	mobile radio service provider designated as an eligible
30	telecommunications carrier pursuant to 47 U.S.C. s. 214(e) may,
31	upon filing a notice of election to do so with the commission,
32	provide Lifeline service to any otherwise eligible customer or
33	potential customer who meets an income eligibility test at 150
34	percent or less of the federal poverty income guidelines for
35	Lifeline customers. Such a test for eligibility must augment,
36	rather than replace, the eligibility standards established by
37	federal law and based on participation in certain low-income
38	assistance programs. Each intrastate interexchange
39	telecommunications company shall file or publish a schedule
40	providing at a minimum the intrastate interexchange
41	telecommunications carrier's current Lifeline benefits and
42	exemptions to Lifeline customers who meet the income eligibility
43	test set forth in this subsection. The Office of Public Counsel
44	shall certify and maintain claims submitted by a customer for
45	eligibility under the income test authorized by this subsection.
46	(h)1.  By December 31, 2010 2007, each state agency that
47	provides benefits to persons eligible for Lifeline service shall
48	undertake, in cooperation with the Department of Children and
49	Family Services, the Department of Education, the commission,
50	the Office of Public Counsel, and telecommunications companies
51	designated eligible telecommunications carriers providing
52	Lifeline services, the development of procedures to promote
53	Lifeline participation. The departments, the commission, and the
54	Office of Public Counsel may exchange sufficient information
55	with the appropriate eligible telecommunications carriers and
56	any commercial mobile radio service provider electing to provide
57	Lifeline service under paragraph (a), such as a person's name,
58	date of birth, service address, and telephone number, so that
59	the carriers can identify and enroll an eligible person in the
60	Lifeline and Link-Up programs. The information remains
61	confidential pursuant to s. 364.107 and may only be used for
62	purposes of determining eligibility and enrollment in the
63	Lifeline and Link-Up programs.
64	2.  If any state agency determines that a person is
65	eligible for Lifeline services, the agency shall immediately
66	forward the information to the commission to ensure that the
67	person is automatically enrolled in the program with the
68	appropriate eligible telecommunications carrier. The state
69	agency shall include an option for an eligible customer to
70	choose not to subscribe to the Lifeline service. The Public
71	Service Commission and the Department of Children and Family
72	Services shall, no later than December 31, 2007, adopt rules
73	creating procedures to automatically enroll eligible customers
74	in Lifeline service.
75	3.  By December 31, 2010, the commission, the Department of
76	Children and Family Services, and the Office of Public Counsel,
77	and each eligible telecommunications carrier offering Lifeline
78	and Link-Up services shall convene a Lifeline Workgroup to
79	discuss how the eligible subscriber information in subparagraph
80	1. will be shared, the obligations of each party with respect to
81	the use of that information, and the procedures to be
82	implemented to verify eligibility in these programs shall enter
83	into a memorandum of understanding establishing the respective
84	duties of the commission, the department, and the public counsel
85	with respect to the automatic enrollment procedures no later
86	than December 31, 2007.
87	Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.

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