H-3992.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2862

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     2000 Regular Session

By Representatives Delvin, Crouse, Reardon and Poulsen

Read first time 01/21/2000.  Referred to Committee on Technology, Telecommunications & Energy.

Designating payphone service providers, or "aggregators," as competitive telephone service providers.

    AN ACT Relating to the taxation of aggregators as competitive telephone service providers; and amending RCW 82.04.065.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

    Sec. 1.  RCW 82.04.065 and 1997 c 304 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) "Competitive telephone service" means the providing by any person of telecommunications equipment or apparatus, or service related to that equipment or apparatus such as repair or maintenance service, if the equipment or apparatus is of a type which can be provided by persons that are not subject to regulation as telephone companies under Title 80 RCW and for which a separate charge is made.  Competitive telephone service includes service offered by aggregators as defined at 47 U.S.C. Sec. 226(a)(2).

    (2) "Network telephone service" means the providing by any person of access to a local telephone network, local telephone network switching service, or toll service, ((or coin telephone services,)) or the providing of telephonic, video, data, or similar communication or transmission for hire, via a local telephone network, toll line or channel, cable, microwave, or similar communication or transmission system.  "Network telephone service" includes interstate service, including toll service, originating from or received on telecommunications equipment or apparatus in this state if the charge for the service is billed to a person in this state.  "Network telephone service" includes the provision of transmission to and from the site of an internet provider via a local telephone network, toll line or channel, cable, microwave, or similar communication or transmission system.  "Network telephone service" does not include the providing of competitive telephone service, the providing of cable television service, the providing of broadcast services by radio or television stations, nor the provision of internet service as defined in RCW 82.04.297, including the reception of dial-in connection, provided at the site of the internet service provider.

    (3) "Telephone service" means competitive telephone service or network telephone service, or both, as defined in subsections (1) and (2) of this section.

    (4) "Telephone business" means the business of providing network telephone service, as defined in subsection (2) of this section.  It includes cooperative or farmer line telephone companies or associations operating an exchange.

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