BILL REQ. #: S-4499.1
State of Washington | 58th Legislature | 2004 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 02/04/04.
AN ACT Relating to the Washington telephone assistance program; amending RCW 80.36.410; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 80.36.410 and 2003 c 134 s 2 are each amended to read
as follows:
(((1))) The legislature finds that universal telephone service is
an important policy goal of the state. The legislature further finds
that: (((a) Recent changes in the telecommunications industry, such as
federal access charges, raise concerns about the ability of low-income
persons to continue to afford access to local exchange telephone
service; and (b) many low-income persons making the transition to
independence from receiving supportive services through community
agencies do not qualify for economic assistance from the department.)) (1) It is in the
public interest to ((
(2) Therefore, the legislature finds that: (a)take steps to mitigate the effects of these
changes on)) ensure that affordable basic telephone service is
available to low-income persons; and (((b))) (2) advances in
telecommunications technologies, such as community service voice mail,
provide new and economically efficient ways to secure many of the
benefits of universal service to low-income persons who are not
customers of local exchange telephone service.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 (1) The legislature finds that recent
changes in the telecommunications industry, including increased
competition among companies and services, the increased migration of
telephone customers to wireless services, and the development of new
technologies such as voice-over-internet, have raised concerns about
the long-term funding of the Washington telephone assistance program
and its continued ability to provide assistance to low-income persons
who may not be able to afford needed telephone services.
(2) The department of social and health services shall convene a
working group consisting of representatives of telecommunications
providers, the office of financial management, the utilities and
transportation commission, the office of public counsel, designees of
the chair of the senate technology and communications committee and the
house technology, telecommunications and energy committee, and
community action agencies to review the current Washington telephone
assistance program structure and the viability of its long-term
funding. The department shall prepare a report setting forth the
working group's findings and recommendations regarding the structure of
the program, client eligibility, services to be covered, and program
funding and administration.
(3) The department shall report its findings and recommendations to
the legislature by December 1, 2004.
(4) This section expires July 1, 2005.