Amendment ASA1-AB207

AB207-ASA1,3,24 (a) Video service brings important daily benefits to state residents by providing news, education, and entertainment.

AB207-ASA1,4,3 (b) Uniform regulation of all video service providers by this state is necessary to ensure that state residents receive adequate and efficient video service and to protect and promote the public health, safety, and welfare.

AB207-ASA1,4,6 (c) Fair competition in the provision of video service will result in new and more video programming choices for consumers in this state, and a number of providers have stated their desire to provide that service.

AB207-ASA1,4,8 (d) Timely entry into the market is critical for new entrants seeking to compete with existing providers.

AB207-ASA1,4,11 (e) This state's economy would be enhanced by additional investment in communications and video programming infrastructure by existing and new providers of video service.

AB207-ASA1,4,13 (f) Minimal regulation of all providers of video service within a uniform framework will promote the investment described in par. (e).

AB207-ASA1,4,16 (g) Ensuring that existing providers of video service are subject to the same regulatory requirements and procedures as new entrants will ensure fair competition among all providers.

AB207-ASA1,4,21 (h) This section is an enactment of statewide concern for the purpose of providing uniform regulation of video service that promotes investment in communications and video infrastructures and the continued development of this state's video service marketplace within a framework that is fair and equitable to all providers.

AB207-ASA1,4,22 (2) Definitions. In this section:

AB207-ASA1,4,25 (a) "Affiliate", when used in relation to any person, means another person who owns or controls, is owned or controlled by, or is under common ownership or control with such person.

AB207-ASA1,5,3 (b) "Basic local exchange service area" means the area on file with the public service commission in which a telecommunications video service provider provides basic local exchange service, as defined in s. 196.01 (1g).

AB207-ASA1,5,5 (c) "Cable franchise" means a franchise granted under s. 66.0419 (3) (b), 2005 stats.

AB207-ASA1,5,6 (d) "Cable operator" has the meaning given in 47 USC 522 (5).

AB207-ASA1,5,7 (e) "Cable service" has the meaning given in 47 USC 522 (6).

AB207-ASA1,5,8 (f) "Cable system" has the meaning given in 47 USC 522 (7).

AB207-ASA1,5,9 (g) "Department" means the department of financial institutions.

AB207-ASA1,5,10 (h) "FCC" means the federal communications commission.

AB207-ASA1,5,12 (i) "Franchise fee" has the meaning given in 47 USC 542 (g), and includes any compensation required under s. 66.0425.

AB207-ASA1,5,15 (j) 1. "Gross receipts" means all revenues received by and paid to a video service provider by subscribers residing within a municipality for video service, including all of the following:

AB207-ASA1,5,16 a. Recurring charges for video service.

AB207-ASA1,5,18 b. Event-based charges for video service, including pay-per-view and video-on-demand charges.

AB207-ASA1,5,19 c. Rental of set top boxes and other video service equipment.

AB207-ASA1,5,21 d. Service charges related to the provision of video service, including activation, installation, repair, and maintenance charges.

AB207-ASA1,5,23 e. Administrative charges related to the provision of video service, including service order and service termination charges.

AB207-ASA1,5,25 2. Notwithstanding subd. 1., "gross receipts" does not include any of the following:

AB207-ASA1,6,2 a. Discounts, refunds, and other price adjustments that reduce the amount of compensation received by a video service provider.

AB207-ASA1,6,5 b. Uncollectible fees, except that any uncollectible fees that are written off as bad debt but subsequently collected shall be included as gross receipts in the period collected, less the expenses of collection.

AB207-ASA1,6,6 c. Late payment charges.

AB207-ASA1,6,7 d. Maintenance charges.

AB207-ASA1,6,12 e. Amounts billed to video service subscribers to recover taxes, fees, surcharges or assessments of general applicability or otherwise collected by a video service provider from video service subscribers for pass through to any federal, state, or local government agency, including video service provider fees and regulatory fees paid to the FCC under 47 USC 159.

AB207-ASA1,6,15 f. Revenue from the sale of capital assets or surplus equipment not used by the purchaser to receive video service from the seller of those assets or surplus equipment.

AB207-ASA1,6,23 g. Charges, other than those described in subd. 1., that are aggregated or bundled with amounts described in subd. 1. and billed to video service subscribers, including but not limited to any revenues received by a video service provider or its affiliates for telecommunications services, information services, or the provision of directory or Internet advertising, including yellow pages, white pages, banner advertisement, and electronic publishing, if a video service provider can reasonably identify such charges on books and records kept in the regular course of business or by other reasonable means.

AB207-ASA1,6,25 h. Reimbursement by programmers of marketing costs actually incurred by a video service provider.

AB207-ASA1,7,5 (k) "Household" means a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room that is intended for occupancy as separate living quarters. For purposes of this paragraph, "separate living quarters" are those in which the occupants live and eat separately from any other persons in the building and which have direct access from the outside of the building or through a common hall.

AB207-ASA1,7,9 (L) "Incumbent cable operator" means a person who, immediately before the effective date of this paragraph, was providing cable service under a cable franchise, expired cable franchise, or cable franchise extension, or under an ordinance or resolution adopted or enacted by a municipality.

AB207-ASA1,7,11 (m) "Institutional network" means a network that connects governmental, educational, and community institutions.

AB207-ASA1,7,14 (n) "Interim cable operator" means an incumbent cable operator that elects to continue to provide cable service under a cable franchise as specified in sub. (3) (b) 2. a.

AB207-ASA1,7,16 (o) "Issued" means, with respect to a video service franchise, issued or considered to be issued by the department under sub. (3) (f) 2.

AB207-ASA1,7,20 (p) "Large telecommunications video service provider" means a telecommunications video service provider that, on January 1, 2007, had more than 500,000 basic local exchange access lines in this state or an affiliate of such a telecommunication video service provider.

AB207-ASA1,7,24 (q) "Low-income household" means any individual or group of individuals living together as one economic unit in a household whose aggregate annual income is not more than $35,000, as identified by the United States Census Bureau as of January 1, 2007.

AB207-ASA1,7,25 (r) "Municipality" means a city, village, or town.

AB207-ASA1,8,2 (s) "PEG channel" means a channel designated for noncommercial public, educational, or governmental use.

AB207-ASA1,8,3 (sm) "Qualified cable operator" means any of the following:

AB207-ASA1,8,6 1. A cable operator that has provided cable service in this state for at least 3 years prior to applying for a video service franchise and that has never had a cable franchise revoked by a municipality.

AB207-ASA1,8,7 2. An affiliate of a cable operator specified in subd. 1.

AB207-ASA1,8,10 3. A cable operator that, on the date that it applies for a video service franchise, is one of the 10 largest video service providers in the United States as measured by the total number of video service subscribers nationally.

AB207-ASA1,8,11 4. A parent corporation of a cable operator specified in subd. 3.

AB207-ASA1,8,13 (t) "Service tier" means a category of video service for which a separate rate is charged.

AB207-ASA1,8,15 (u) "State agency" means any board, commission, department, or office in the state government.

AB207-ASA1,8,16 (um) "Telecommunications utility" has the meaning given in s. 196.01 (10).

AB207-ASA1,8,19 (v) "Telecommunications video service provider" means a video service provider that uses facilities for providing telecommunications service, as defined in s. 196.01 (9m), also to provide video service.

AB207-ASA1,8,22 (w) "Video franchise area" means the area or areas described in an application for a video service franchise under sub. (3) (d) 2., as modified, if applicable, in a notification made under sub. (3) (j).

AB207-ASA1,8,24 (x) "Video programming" means programming provided by, or generally considered comparable to programming provided by, a television broadcast station.

AB207-ASA1,9,5 (y) "Video service" means any video programming service, cable service, or service provided via an open video system that complies with 47 USC 573, that is provided through facilities located at least in part in public rights-of-way, without regard to delivery technology, including Internet protocol technology or any other technology. "Video service" does not include any of the following:

AB207-ASA1,9,7 1. Video programming provided by a commercial mobile radio service provider, as defined in s. 196.01 (2g).

AB207-ASA1,9,10 2. Video programming provided solely as part of and via a service that enables users to access content, information, electronic mail, or any other service offered over the public Internet.

AB207-ASA1,9,11 (z) "Video service franchise" means a franchise issued under sub. (3) (f) 2.

AB207-ASA1,9,15 (zb) "Video service network" means wireline facilities, or any component thereof, located at least in part in the public right-of-way that deliver video service, without regard to delivery technology, including Internet protocol technology or any other technology. "Video service network" includes a cable system.

AB207-ASA1,9,18 (zg) "Video service provider" means a person, including an incumbent cable operator, who is issued a video service franchise or a successor or assign of such a person.

AB207-ASA1,9,20 (zm) "Video service provider fee" means the fee paid by a video service provider under sub. (7).

AB207-ASA1,9,24 (3) Authority to provide video service. (a) In general. Except for an interim cable operator, and except as provided in par. (c), no person may provide video service in this state unless the department has issued a video service franchise to the person and the person has provided the notice required under par. (h).

AB207-ASA1,10,3 (b) Incumbent cable operators. 1. A municipality may not renew or extend the cable franchise of an incumbent cable operator that expires after the effective date of this subdivision .... [revisor inserts date].

AB207-ASA1,10,4 2. An incumbent cable operator may do one of the following:

AB207-ASA1,10,6 a. Continue to provide cable service as an interim cable operator until the cable franchise expires.

AB207-ASA1,10,13 b. Apply for a video service franchise. If an incumbent cable operator applies for a video service franchise, the cable franchise shall terminate and have no effect upon issuance of the video service franchise. Upon termination of the cable franchise, the municipality that granted the franchise shall, at the request of the incumbent cable operator, surrender, return, or take such other action as may be necessary to nullify any bond, letter of credit, or similar instrument intended to secure the performance of the incumbent cable operator under the cable franchise.

AB207-ASA1,10,24 3. An incumbent cable operator whose cable franchise expires after the effective date of this subdivision .... [revisor inserts date], may not, after expiration of the cable franchise, provide video service in this state unless the incumbent cable operator applies for a video service franchise under subd. 2. b. and, upon issuance of the video service franchise, provides the notice required under par. (h). An incumbent cable operator whose cable franchise expired before the effective date of this subdivision .... [revisor inserts date], and who was providing cable service immediately before the effective date of this act, may continue to provide cable service if, no later than the first day of the 2nd month beginning after the effective date of this subdivision .... [revisor inserts date], the incumbent cable operator applies for a video service franchise under subd. 2. b.

AB207-ASA1,11,7 (c) Other providers. A person, other than an incumbent cable operator, who was providing video service immediately before the effective date of this paragraph .... [revisor inserts date], may provide video service without a video service franchise issued by the department. This paragraph ceases to apply to such a person if the person does not apply for a video service franchise no later than the first day of the 2nd month beginning after the effective date of this paragraph .... [revisor inserts date].

AB207-ASA1,11,9 (d) Application. An applicant for a video service franchise shall submit an application to the department that consists of all of the following:

AB207-ASA1,11,12 1. The location and telephone number of the applicant's principal place of business, the names of the principal executive officers of the applicant, and the names of any persons authorized to represent the applicant before the department.

AB207-ASA1,11,14 2. A description of the area or areas of the state in which the applicant intends to provide video service.

AB207-ASA1,11,16 3. The date on which the applicant intends to begin providing video service in the video franchise area.

AB207-ASA1,11,18 4. An affidavit signed by an officer or general partner of the applicant that affirms all of the following:

AB207-ASA1,11,20 a. That the applicant has filed or will timely file with the FCC all forms required by the FCC in advance of offering video service.

AB207-ASA1,11,22 b. That the applicant agrees to comply with this section and all applicable federal statutes and regulations.

AB207-ASA1,11,24 c. That the applicant is legally, financially, and technically qualified to provide video service.

AB207-ASA1,11,25 5. A description of the services that the applicant proposes to provide.

AB207-ASA1,12,1 6. An application fee of $1,000.

AB207-ASA1,12,6 (e) Service upon municipalities. 1. At the time that an applicant submits an application under par. (d), or a video service provider submits a notification regarding a modification to an application under par. (j), to the department, the applicant or video service provider shall serve a copy of the application or notification on each municipality in the video franchise area.

AB207-ASA1,12,12 2. a. This subdivision applies only to a municipality that, under subd. 1., is served a copy of an application or that, under subd. 1., is served a copy of a notification relating to an expansion of the area or areas of the state in which a video service provider intends to provide video service, if the municipality has not previously been served a copy of an application under subd. 1. by that video service provider.

AB207-ASA1,12,19 b. If a municipality specified in subd. 2. a. has granted any cable franchise that is in effect immediately before the effective date of this subdivision .... [revisor inserts date], the municipality shall, no later than 10 business days after receipt of the copy, notify the applicant in writing of the number of PEG channels for which incumbent cable operators are required to provide channel capacity in the municipality and the percentage of revenues that incumbent cable operators are required to pay the municipality as franchise fees.

AB207-ASA1,12,23 (f) Department duties. 1. No later than 15 business days after the filing of an application, the department shall notify the applicant in writing as to whether the application is complete and, if the department has determined that the application is not complete, the department shall state the reasons for the determination.

AB207-ASA1,13,9 2. No later than 15 business days after the filing of an application that the department has determined is complete, the department shall determine whether an applicant is legally, financially, and technically qualified to provide video service. If the department determines that an applicant is legally, financially, and technically qualified to provide video service, the department shall issue a video service franchise to the applicant. If the department determines that an applicant is not legally, financially, and technically qualified to provide video service, the department shall reject the application and shall state the reasons for the determination. If the department fails to make the determination, the department shall be considered to have issued a video service franchise to the applicant, unless the applicant withdraws the application or agrees with the department to an extension of time.

AB207-ASA1,13,12 3. Notwithstanding subd. 2., if an applicant is a telecommunications utility or qualified cable operator, the department shall determine that the applicant is legally, financially, and technically qualified to provide video service.

AB207-ASA1,13,15 4. The department shall promulgate rules for determining whether an applicant that is not a telecommunications utility or qualified cable operator is legally, financially, and technically qualified to provide video service.

AB207-ASA1,13,19 (g) Effect of video service franchise. A video service franchise issued by the department authorizes a video service provider to occupy the public rights-of-way and to construct, operate, maintain, and repair a video service network to provide video service in the video franchise area.

AB207-ASA1,13,22 (h) Notice before providing service. No later than 10 business days before providing video service in a municipality in a video franchise area, a video service provider shall provide notice to the department and the municipality.

AB207-ASA1,14,3 (i) Expiration and revocation of video service franchise. 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., a video service franchise issued to a video service provider does not expire, unless the video service provider gives 30 days' advance notice to the department that the video service provider intends to terminate the video service franchise. If a video service provider gives such notice, the video service franchise shall expire on the termination date stated in the notice.

AB207-ASA1,14,13 2. The department may revoke a video service franchise issued to a video service provider if the department determines that the video service provider has willfully and knowingly repeatedly failed to substantially meet a material requirement imposed upon it by this section and the department has not otherwise acquiesced in such noncompliance through a waiver. Before commencing a revocation proceeding, the department shall provide the video service provider written notice of the department's intention to revoke the franchise and the department's reasons for the revocation and afford the video service provider a reasonable opportunity to cure any alleged violation. A revocation proceeding under this subdivision is a contested case under ch. 227.

AB207-ASA1,14,25 (j) Modifications. If there is any change in the information included in an application filed by a video service provider under this subsection, the video service provider shall notify the department and update the information within 10 business days after the change, except that if the video service provider determines to expand the area or areas of the state in which the video service provider intends to provide video service, the video service provider shall notify the department as soon as practicable after making such a determination but no later than 10 business days before providing video service in the expansion area or areas. A video service provider that makes a notification regarding a change in the information specified in par. (d) 2., 3., 4., or 5., shall include with the notification a fee of $100. No fee is required for a notification regarding a change in the information specified in par. (d) 1.