Legislative Session number- 83

Bill Name: SF0908

Expanding the definition of and deregulating independent telephone +companies;
exempting independent telephone companies or telecommunications +carriers from
local rate restrictions or obligations; authorizing the companies to+ expand
local calling areas through notice to the public utilities +commission,
requiring the areas to be optional to customers; granting the +companies certain
pricing and service offers authority and authorizing the companies to construct,
purchase, lease or rent transport facilities to provide +expanded local calling
and to enter into agreements to terminate expanded +local calling with other
telephone companies and telecommunications carriers and +into bill and keep
arrangements for local traffic exchange purposes under +certain conditions;
authorizing amendments to or termination of expanded +local service upon notice
to customers; authorizing use of credit rating reports +and information to
determine the necessity for and amount of deposits; +exempting independent
telephone companies from certain rules relating to +records, billing, notice and
call tracing requirements, the telephone +assistance plan (TAP), conflict
resolution and intervenor costs payment; requiring +the PUC to use certain
criteria adopted by the federal communications commission+ (FCC) in determining
the need to provide annual certification of eligible telecommunications carriers
for continued receipt of federal +universal service funding (mk)