LRB-3885/1
MDK:cjs:pg
2001 - 2002 LEGISLATURE
October 16, 2001 - Introduced by Representatives Hoven, Jensen, Ainsworth,
Albers, Grothman, Gunderson, Ladwig, Leibham, Owens, Petrowski, Stone,
Sykora and Riley, cosponsored by Senator Welch. Referred to Committee on
Energy and Utilities.
AB575,1,2
1An Act to amend 196.218 (3) (a) 3. a. of the statutes;
relating to: contributions
2required for the universal service fund.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, with certain exceptions, all telecommunications providers
are required to contribute to the universal service fund (fund). Moneys in the fund
are used for a variety of purposes, including the following: 1) promoting access to
essential telecommunications services; 2) assisting the deployment of an advanced
telecommunications infrastructure; 3) promoting access to information and library
services to blind and visually handicapped individuals; 4) making grants to nonprofit
medical clinics and public health agencies for telecommunications equipment; and
5) administering the fund.
Also under current law, the public service commission (PSC) must designate the
method for calculating the amount that telecommunications providers must
contribute to the fund. The method must ensure that the contributions are sufficient
to generate the amount of funding required for all of the purposes for which moneys
in the fund are used, including the purposes identified above. In fiscal year 2003-04,
the contributions required for the purposes identified above may not exceed
$5,000,000. In fiscal year 2004-05 and thereafter, such contributions may not exceed
$6,000,000.
This bill changes the amount of contributions that are required for the purposes
identified above. Under the bill, in fiscal year 2003-04 and thereafter, the amount
of contributions for those purposes may not exceed $4,000,000. The bill does not
affect the contributions that are required for other purposes for which moneys in the
fund are used.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB575,2,73
196.218
(3) (a) 3. a. The amount appropriated under s. 20.155 (1) (q), except
4that
beginning in fiscal year 2003-04
the total amount of contributions in that fiscal
5year under this subd. 3. a. may not exceed $5,000,000 and except that beginning in
6fiscal year 2004-05 the total amount of contributions in a fiscal year under this subd.
73. a. may not exceed
$6,000,000 $4,000,000.
